Tulsa is offering money incentives to more owners to spruce up properties along Route 66.
The Tulsa Route 66 Commission has expanded the existing Façade Matching Grant Program, which offers reimbursement of up to $40,000, to apply to existing structures built in 1980 or earlier.
The grant previously only allowed buildings built during or before 1959.
Route 66 Commission Chair Josh Stout said the decision to expand the grant came after a survey showing many buildings along the Mother Road were built after the ’59 cutoff.
The commission wants to get the word out to anyone along the landmark.
“Even if you don’t own the property and you’re just a tenant of the property, you can still utilize this grant for your façade,” Stout said, adding a tenant would still need the building owner to sign off.
The expanded grant is one of many programs to beautify the Mother Road before it’s 100th anniversary in 2026, including the events grant and the neon sign grant.
Tulsa has invested in its stretch of Route 66 as a major pull for tourists far and wide.
“We get so many international travelers,” Stout said.
Stout, a small business owner himself, said anyone with questions can contact the Route 66 Commission for help and feedback.
A webpage for the façade grant can be accessed at: www.cityoftulsa.org/facadegrant
