The Façade Improvement Program is designed to provide building owners with financial incentives to preserve, restore, and rehabilitate the exterior features of buildings located within the Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District area.
Donor Name: City of Freeport
State: Illinois
City: Freeport
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/14/2023
Details:
The Façade Improvement Program is intended to assist with the costs of enhancing the outward appearance of downtown buildings. Under the program, property owners within the Downtown TIF area are eligible to apply for a primary facade grant. For purposes of this grant, a primary façade is defined as the front or main face of a building that is facing a public street.
The reimbursable grants are provided in recognition of the positive impact that individual facade rehabilitations can have on the overall appearance and quality of storefronts.
The City has proposed a budget of $20,000 for 2023, funded by the Downtown TIF.
Target Area
The Target Area is the Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and Historic Business District. A map indicating the Historic Business and Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District is presented. The building for which grant assistance is sought is required to be located inside the TIF area.
Eligible Properties
- An eligible applicant must be the owner of the building for which the rehabilitation is planned; tenants are ineligible to apply. However, tenants are encouraged to work with the landlord/property owner to apply for a facade improvement grant on their behalf.
- All properties within the Downtown TIF District are eligible.
- Historic properties within the Downtown TIF District must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation
- Applicants must be current on City and County property fees/taxes and have no outstanding liens or code violations on their properties.
Eligible Use of Funds
- Soft costs including design work, architectural, engineering, planning, and other professional fees
- Waste disposal
- Masonry work including restoration, gentle cleaning, and repointing
- Historical window and door restoration.
- Removal of non-original facing such as inappropriate siding, metal, etc.
- Restoration of existing architectural elements.
- Painting, awnings, exterior lighting, window display areas visible from the street.
- Primary facades (Side of building facing the street).
Funding Requirements and Limitations
- Submitted information and project bid estimates will be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission. The City Council reserves the right to reject any and all proposed work that does not meet the program guidelines.
- Projects must be completed by Friday, September 29, 2023. A Letter of Commitment will be issued from the City upon Council approval of award. The City reserves the right to allow a reasonable extension of this time limit upon receiving a written request from the applicant
- Sweat equity or unpaid labor performed by the owner, friends, relatives, etc. cannot be used as a portion of the cost incurred in the improvement project
- Labor costs will be reimbursed only if performed by a licensed and insured contractor that is registered with the City of Freeport. Proof of insurance is required
- This year, the Facade Improvement Grant Program is funded through the Downtown Tax Increment Finance District. As such, labor is NOT subject to prevailing wage requirements as per City of Freeport Ordinance 2002-40. However, if the project is supported with other public funds, prevailing wage requirements will apply and certified payrolls must be provided with the reimbursement request
- To promote efficiency of this grant program process, Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) will be reviewed and granted by the City’s Historic Preservation Commission at public hearing referenced below. Bring your application and samples of materials to be used to this meeting
- If no one is present to represent the proposed project, the application will be withdrawn from consideration of municipal monies.
For more information, visit Facade Improvement Grant.
