August 4, 2005
All smiles: Mayor honors dentists for neighborhood revitalization
The look and feel of a neighborhood reaches out to passers-by through the facades of its many storefronts.
And small business owners know from experience that an attractive exterior translates into caring about customers and community.
That’s the idea behind the City of Seattle’s Facade Improvement Program, which recently recognized 16 local business and property owners for their storefront enhancements.
Dr. Pollene Speed, chair of the UW Dentistry Admissions Committee and an affiliate instructor in the School’s Restorative Dentistry Department, and her husband, Dr. George McIntyre, were among the small business owners honored July 6 by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels for participation in the facade program.
Speed and McIntyre own Rainier Family Dentistry in the Central Area, where they are enhancing their building’s exterior thanks to a grant provided by the City’s Office of Economic Development through its Facade Improvement Program.
“We’ve been in this neighborhood a long time, and we feel it’s important to re-invest and show other businesses that improving your storefront can make a difference in the neighborhood and to your clients,” said Speed.
“The City’s facade improvement funds enabled us to go further than we would have with improvements, and we’re looking forward to the change.”
Students from the UW College of Architecture and Urban Planning have been involved in the City’s Facade Improvement Program since April 2003, when they established the StoreFront Studio in the U-District to assist businesses in designing new facades for their buildings. The designs help businesses and property owners apply for facade improvement money from the City.
Jim Nicholls, the UW architecture lecturer who directs the studio, said the Facade Improvement Program is about “investing academic capital in the community” and gives UW architecture students “valuable exposure to real-world projects.”
