Julia Williams

Editor-in-Chief

As an Independence Avenue Community Improvement District (CID) initiative, its Storefront Improvement Rebate (SIR) program, was created with a mission to support Historic Northeast Kansas City businesses, which fall within the CID boundary along Independence Avenue. 

Over the past 10 years, this program has worked to fund exterior repairs and improvements — including, but not limited to, signage, lighting, landscaping and awnings — for more than 32 businesses, which fit the program’s criteria. 

Over this decade, approved business and property owner investments to date total at $415,000 with the CID portion including 3.5% of the total investment at $147,100, according to program records. 

Among these businesses includes Eleos Coffee House located at 3401 Independence Ave. 

Prior to submitting an application for the SIR program — a requirement for any business or property owner interested in these benefits — Eleos Coffee owner Dan Smith shared that Eleos did not have a real sign on its building for its first nine years in operation. Instead, the business had a painted sign on the side of its building. 

“Signs are really expensive, this program was super helpful,” Smith shared in an interview. “When thousands of cars are going by your business and no one knows you’re there, you need to do something about it.”

For those who receive approval on their SIR program application, a business has the opportunity to receive a $5,000 reimbursement no matter the project cost — or up to 50% for projects under $5,000 — according to the program’s purpose statement, provided courtesy of the CID. 

This program allowed Eleos to obtain a lighted sign with a bracket in 2020, which Smith said is visible for drivers traveling both east and westbound along the Avenue. 

“It’s an [advertisement] for people to notice even though we’re not open past 2 p.m.,” he shared in an interview. 

The design for this sign, Smith said, helped the coffee shop with its branding as he said Eleos had just created a new logo a year prior to the installation, which in turn, was this same updated logo used on its sign, created by Midwest Sign Company — a sign installation service located out of Kansas City, Kan.

And it’s this additional advertisement of his business that Smith said he feels has helped contribute to its success and longevity.

“Even though we still get people who have lived in the neighborhood for years, we still get people who have asked how long we’ve been here,” Smith said. “I’m sure it’s helped get attention.”

For Historic Northeast Kansas City businesses within the CID boundaries along Independence Avenue who are interested in participating in this rebate program, they are asked to contact CID Urban Planner Lonnie Clark for a pre-application meeting at: lonnieclark@indieavecid.com. 

If a proposal meets all required criteria — including desired improvements visible from Independence Avenue — an application form will be required for submission, along with a W-9 and photos from said property. It is from there that a project will be submitted by the CID for approval from the City’s Independence Avenue CID Property Committee. 

For inquiries or additional information, visit: https://nekcchamber.com/storefront-improvement-rebate/.