AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Center City of Amarillo announced that it will “celebrate a new concept in higher education” with its presentation of a façade grant to the Innovation Outpost at 10:30 a.m. on Monday at 1220 S Polk St.

Center City said that the façade of $16,306 is a matching grant to help pay for “distinctive exterior improvements” in Amarillo’s historic downtown area.

“When the city of Amarillo adopted the Downtown Strategic Action Plan, our goal was to make downtown a place to live, work, play, learn and worship. Enchanting higher education learning opportunities was a primary goal,” said Beth Duke, executive director of Center City, “The Innovation Outpost not only gives an old building new life, it also brings exciting educational and training opportunities to our downtown. The location is the site of the historic Amarillo High School. Now the Innovation Outpost will take education into the future.”

As described by Center City, the organization administers the façade grant program for the historic downtown area, and any business in the Center City boundaries can apply. A volunteer committee makes recommendations for the façade grants, which are then approved by the Center City board of directors.

Previously, a façade was given to Braceros on South Polk Street in 2022, the building for which has stood in downtown Amarillo since 1927.

Since 1996, said Center City, it has invested more than $1.4 million in façade grants in the downtown area.