Prince George's County offers $1 million for business property upgrades

Prince George’s County is putting $1 million behind storefront repairs, lighting upgrades and other fixes meant to make neighborhood shopping centers look and function better. The money runs through the county Redevelopment Authority’s Commercial Property Improvement Program, and property owners have until July 31 at 5 p.m. to apply.

The program is aimed at smaller neighborhood retail centers, strip malls, Main Street retail space and stand-alone storefronts. County materials say the grants are cost-reimbursable and match-based, covering up to 50% of approved project costs, with awards starting at $25,000 and capped at $125,000. Eligible work includes building façade improvements, placemaking features, lighting, major building systems and a minimum energy-efficiency component.

County Executive Aisha Braveboy cast the funding as part of a broader effort to reshape commercial districts. “Economic development starts with creating places where businesses can succeed and communities can flourish,” she said, adding that the county wants to use programs like CPIP to drive growth, create jobs and strengthen Prince George’s County’s position in innovation, business development and community revitalization.

The redevelopment authority said the point is not just cosmetic. Its primary objective is to reduce blighted commercial and residential structures within a half-mile of existing transit centers, a goal that fits into Prince George’s larger push to invest around transit corridors and neighborhood retail. The 2025/2026 funding notice ties the program to the Central Avenue Blue Line Corridor and the Suitland-Naylor Road Metro Sustainable Community areas, where visible upgrades can help older shopping strips compete with newer development.

This is not the first round of CPIP support. In April, the redevelopment authority announced $250,000 in funding that supported businesses in the Central Avenue Blue Line Corridor and the Suitland-Naylor Road Metro Sustainable Community areas. County officials have also linked the program to the Blue Line Corridor revitalization effort, which they say has already secured $45.7 million for projects. Prince George’s broke ground on Civic Plaza at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building on April 9, 2025, the first of five signature projects in that corridor strategy.

For property owners weighing whether to spend on aging buildings, the program offers a direct test of whether county redevelopment dollars can do more than announce intentions. If the grants reach the right storefronts, the county says they can help turn underperforming blocks into cleaner, safer and more investable commercial corridors.