The White Box Grant program helps property owners bring vacant commercial first-floor spaces into compliance with current state and local building code, fire safety code, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, thus creating a functional “white box” space ready for customization and occupancy by a business.
Donor Name: City of Toledo
State: Ohio
City: Toledo
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 07/18/2022
Size of the Grant: $25,000 to $75,000
Details:
The White Box Grant program is funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Therefore, grant funds are subject to federal requirements. The program is subject to a three-year period of compliance, reporting, and annual inspection by the City of Toledo. The grant is collateralized by a personal and/or corporate guarantee and a promissory note, which will restrict the property owner from selling the property without approval from the City of Toledo within three years of the effective date.
Funding Information
The program provides a matching grant of $25,000 to $75,000 for first-floor, interior renovation expenses to meet current codes required to receive a certificate of occupancy, as demonstrated by stamped architectural or engineering drawings. Building owners are required to provide a 30% match and must either occupy the space as a business owner or actively market the space for lease at no more than the current average per square foot rate for similar condition properties in the area.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants, whether individual or entity, meet the following criteria:
- Applicant is in good standing with governmental entities (i.e. current on income tax, property tax, utilities, code violations, fees)
- Applicant owns the building for which they are applying*
*If the applicant does not own the building for which they are applying but does have the building under contract, the applicant is eligible to apply for the grant. However, grants will not be awarded until the applicant owns the building for which they are applying.
Eligible Buildings
A building may be eligible for more than one grant if the building contains multiple vacant commercial spaces, each to be occupied by separate businesses. Eligible buildings must:
- Have no code violation citations
- Contain a first-floor commercial vacant space
- Be located in a low-to-moderate income census tract of the city of Toledo
A building’s eligibility is determined by use, not zoning. Eligible uses include:
- Commercial use (non-residential)
- Industrial use
- Mixed-use (integrated first-floor commercial and upper floor residential uses)
For more information, visit City of Toledo.
