Programs

• Sign Program

Main Street 2000 Business Sign Program

Main Street 200 Development Corporation will pay one half ($500 maximum) the cost of your new business sign if:

1.      You are a NEW Main Street business locating into the Main Street Project area and purchasing an exterior business sign.

OR

2.      You are an EXISTING business similarly located and can meet ONE of the following criteria using the attached income guidelines

• Your business serves a low-income clientele (51% or more).  (A signed statement to this effect is required from the business).

• Your business has five or fewer employees on of which is the owner and the owner is low/moderate income at the time of the application.  (A form signed by the owner is required which indicates family income range and is available from Main Street 2000).

• Your business is hiring a low/moderate income person at the time of the application.  (A form signed by the new employee is required which indicates family income range and is available from Main Street 2000).

NEXT STEPS

1. Call Us

2. Upon qualifying, Main Street 2000 will send you a letter stating that you qualify.

3. Upon receipt of the letter, proceed with the design of the sign.

4. Main Street 2000 will pay its share of the cost to design and construct a business sign upon submission of the invoice from the sign fabricator.

5. Application will be taken on a first come first serve basis and awarded based upon funding availability.

HELP IS AVAILABLE

Main Street 2000 will assist you in meeting Woonsocket’s sign zoning/design review requirements.

Main Street 2000 and the Small Business Development Center will provide free on site expert consulting for storefront display, merchandise display, and business image enhancement.   We have assembled a team of experts familiar with Woonsocket to assistant you with your business plans needs.

rHODE iSLAND hISTORICAL pRESERVATION GUIDELINES 

Generally signs should be compatible with the character of the district and blend with the character of the structures on or near which they are placed.  In evaluating applications for signs on Main Street the following guidelines will be used:

Signs should not conceal architectural detail, clutter the building’s image, or distract from the unity if the façade, but rather should compliment the overall design of the building.

Sign materials should compliment the material of the related building and/or the adjacent buildings.  Surface design elements should not detract from or conflict with the related structure’s age, historic fabric and architectural detail.

No façade should be damaged in the application of signs, except for the mere attachment of the sign.  The attachment should be accomplished in a manner so as to minimize any damage to the façade.  The design concept of reversibility shall apply to the installation and design of all signs.  Signs, because of their very nature relative to businesses, which occupy a building or promotion, are not necessarily permanent objects.  As such, all signs should be designed and installed in a manner that upon removal, the character-defining features of the historic resource remain intact.

For historic buildings, not only should signs be placed in the appropriate location, signs should be an appropriate size and scale to compliment the architecture, not overwhelm it.

For Information call 401-765-2000 or e-mail mainst2000@woonsocketri.org

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