BUSINESS INVESTMENT FUNDS PROGRAMS
20 Years of Commercial Success

The East Side Arts Council Building Just in time for the Gallery Opening on October 25th the East Side Arts Council building received a new face lift. Building owner Heron Lopez also houses his franchise “Royal Prestige Cookware” in the office on the second floor of 977 Payne Avenue.
In the past five years, ESNDC has invested more than $600,000 in grants to commercial building owners or business on Payne Avenue and Arcade Street. These dollars are dedicated to capital improvements on our commercial corridor. They are made to: •Provide gap financing for extensive building loans to stimulate private lending •Promote business expansion •Enhance the image of the business corridors •Increase customer traffic •Create jobs for neighborhood residents
BUSINESS INVESTMENT FUNDS PROJECTS FOR 2006 Thanks to the support of the City of St. Paul, we have approximately $130,000. The application process ended in May and final decisions on this year’s projects were made in July.We are now proceeding on the development process with eleven business owners, including: Morelli’s II Office Suites, Payne Avenue Body Shop, Royal Prestige & East Side Arts Council, Trust Real Estate & Financial Services, Kendall’s Ace Hardware, Pathfinder Mortgage, Sanchez Morelia (music store).	Payne Avenue Body Shop
The Payne Avenue Body Shop needed a new image. Owner Mallard Teal’s reputation for being a creative perfectionist in the field of auto body work was not reflected in the look of his old storefront. Teal applied to ESNDC for a BIF loan and invested thousands of his own money to completely renovate his storefront located at 860 Payne Avenue. Complete with new windows and frames, a new entrance, awnings, roof and a “funky” new signs (designed by Robert “Mingo” Mendez of Simply Signs), Payne Avenue Body Shop has a brand new look. If you have any questions or would like more information about the Business Investment Fund contact Anne Briseno abriseno@esndc.org 651-771-1152 ext 104