The BIG Lift is BCIC’s citywide storefront and site improvement grant program, helping small businesses across Brownsville invest in how their properties look and function. It reimburses 80% of approved exterior improvement costs, up to $30,000, so owners and tenants can refresh facades, signage, lighting, parking, and outdoor spaces that bring customers in. Unlike the downtown-focused BIG Program, BIG Lift is open to eligible businesses throughout the city, opening to one electoral district at a time on a rolling schedule.
BIG Lift focuses on visible, lasting improvements to the outside of Brownsville’s small businesses, the kind of work that strengthens a storefront and the block around it. Priority goes to projects that restore and modernize facades, replace aging signage, doors, windows, and awnings, improve parking and outdoor seating, and add exterior lighting or drought-tolerant landscaping. The program is built to reach locally owned businesses citywide, helping established operators reinvest in their property and their neighborhood.
BIG Lift opens to one electoral district at a time on a rolling schedule. Applications open by district as follows:
| District | Applications Open |
|---|---|
| District 1 | June 1 – July 10, 2026 |
| District 2 | September 1 – Oct. 9, 2026 |
| District 3 | December 1 – Jan. 15, 2027 |
| District 4 | March 1 – April 19, 2027 |
Home-based businesses, nonprofits, and residential or multi-family properties without a commercial storefront are not eligible. Other restrictions apply — see the full guidelines.
Exterior improvements only, including:
Not covered: interior work, new construction, equipment or HVAC, security systems, routine maintenance, and any work started before BCIC issues a Notice to Proceed.
Questions? Contact Eric Quintero, Director of Community Development, at equintero@brownsvillecic.com.
