Arlington aims to spiff up its streets and is putting money where its mouth is, offering up to $10,000 to local businesses ready to ditch their aging pole signs for something more appealing. Under the Commercial Signage Improvement Program, announced by the city's website, proprietors can apply for grants to cover costs for the removal of old signs and the installation of new models that jibe with the city’s design manual, according to the City of Arlington, Texas.
The first to snag the grant, The Tin Cup, swapped out its weathered sign, finally shedding the image that had some thinking it was an antique shop, "a lot of people saw our pole sign and thought we were some sort of antique store because it was so old and rusted," Co-owner Damon Carney told the city's news site, pleased with the eatery's sleek new facade sign. High Tech Transmission on Collins Street also got in on the action, bidding farewell to its decrepit signpost, as per the City of Arlington, Texas.
Focus is on Abram Street populated with over 61 pole signs, a hot spot in Arlington’s beautification crusade, but the application process is open to any commercial zone in the city; the Arlington City Council greenlit this beautification pushback in May 2023 hoping to inspire owners to fall in line with the Unified Development Code for signage.
But businesses need to move fast – it's a first-come, first-served deal, and the funding for the pilot program isn't endless. For those ready to bid their tattered pole signs adieu, and bring in something a tad more sophisticated, a complete application submitted pronto can secure their spot in the queue for a grant.
