The City of Albany Small Business Façade Improvement Program is designed in recognition of the positive impact that individual building improvements can have on the overall appearance, quality and vitality of the City’s commercial districts.
Donor Name: City of Albany
State: New York
City: Albany
Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants
Deadline: 05/14/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Program will help small businesses and not-for-profits to rehabilitate and restore the visible exterior of existing structures, and to enhance street-level storefronts. Dollar for dollar matching reimbursement grants may be awarded to eligible applicants to improve the aesthetic appearance of neighborhood commercial districts throughout the City of Albany to attract additional customers to existing businesses and bring in new businesses to fill current vacancies.
The Program will create opportunities for eligible small businesses, not-for-profits, and property owners with a qualifying small business or not-for-profit tenant to apply for funds to complete individual façade improvement projects. These investments will make the successful applicant’s business and neighborhood more attractive, more interesting, and more inviting.
Program Goals
To further the visions and recommendations of Albany 2030, Capitalize Albany Corporation has developed the following program goals:
- To support and provide critical assistance to small businesses within the City of Albany
- To create attractive and inviting, vibrant commercial cores which will enhance the City’s image as a destination for the community, visitors and tourists
- To stimulate and leverage public and private investment within the City through property improvement, business development, retention and expansion
- To encourage the creation of low barrier to entry jobs for City of Albany residents, as well as others in the region
- To support eligible projects located within the Albany Community Development Agency’s identified Neighborhood Strategy Areas consisting of Arbor Hill, the Central Business District, North Albany, the South End and West Hill.
Funding Information
A matching grant program, the program will provide up to $10,000 to small businesses for exterior renovations.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this program, the application must be on behalf of a small business or not-for-profit entity. A small business is defined as a commercial enterprise that is independently owned, operated, and controlled, and has 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees at the time of application. Qualifying not-for-profits must also have 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees at the time of application.
- Furthermore, eligible applicants must meet, and show sufficient proof as part of the application process, all of the following criteria:
- The applicant must be currently operating/committed to operating a business or not-for-profit within the City of Albany.
- The applicant must be a legal entity, which is properly registered and licensed (if required) to operate in New York State.
- The applicant must certify that they are current on all federal, state, local, business, property, sales and payroll taxes.
- The applicant must be an existing or new business, not-for-profit, or a property owner submitting on behalf of a qualifying small business or not-for-profit tenant that currently occupies/plans to occupy first floor space with street front presence and access.
- The applicant must be either the legal owner of the subject property or a commercial tenant of the property that possesses a current lease that will not expire prior to the anticipated completion of the façade improvement project.
- The applicant must have written consent from the property owner giving permission to conduct the improvements.
- The applicant must be able to document the availability and commitment of the funds necessary to complete the project at the time of application, including matching funds amounting to at least 50% of the total project cost. 8) The applicant must be able to commit to remain in the location and maintain the façade improvements for at least two (2) years.
- If a relocation of an existing business from another location within the City, the applicant must show evidence of expansion or inability to continue to operate at the existing location. Approval for relocation is at the sole discretion of Capitalize Albany Corporation staff.
- The City of Albany is committed to eradicating food deserts in the City. Convenience retail stores (as defined by Rezone Albany) applying for funding under this program will be required to document and certify that a significant inventory of fresh produce is maintained for sale at the time of application and commit to do so for the term of the grant. As a requirement of the program, convenience retail stores that do not sell fresh produce at the time of application will need to produce an agreement with a fresh foods provider to be approved by Capitalize Albany Corporation staff in order to dedicate significant square footage of the store to fresh produce at the assisted business location.
- Buildings used in whole or in part for commercial purposes may be eligible for a reimbursement grant for façade improvements, if they also meet all of the following criteria:
- The building must be a current place of business for the applicant’s small business or not-for-profit entity.
- The building must be located in the City of Albany, New York.
- The building must be used in whole or in part for commercial purposes.
- The building must have an existing storefront, or a location for a new storefront, that meets the Program’s definition of a façade identified on page 2 of these guidelines.
- The façade to be improved must provide public access to one or more businesses and/or not-for-profits within the building.
- Land use must be in conformity with the applicable zoning regulations. Non-conforming land uses, sites, and structures are eligible for grant funds only if the non-conformities are brought into compliance through the grant award.
- Buildings with existing code violations or deficiencies must include their remedy as part of the proposed improvements.
For more information, visit City of Albany.
