The City of Scranton is seeking applications for its Small Business Façade Improvement Grant Program.
Donor Name: City of Scranton
State: Pennsylvania
City: Scranton
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/20/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Details:
The mission of the city’s specific ARPA program is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster real equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents. This mission statement is also accompanied by six (6) guiding principles:
- Recovery: Use funds to equitably guide residents, businesses, nonprofits & local government out of the economic downturn and onto a path of financial recovery
- Response: Enhance city health & emergency response capabilities
- Alignment: Integrate ARPA Funds with ACT 47 Exit Plan Goals, long-term financial and tax strategies, & comprehensive economic development planning
- Sustainability: Avoid one-time items and programs that incur unsustainable operational, maintenance, or other long-term legacy costs
- Leverage: Tackle large infrastructure needs for a safer, healthier city
- Transparency: Accountability, communication, collaboration
Expenditure Category 2.31 “Rehabilitation of Commercial Properties or Other Improvements” for Impacted and Disproportionately Impacted Small Businesses.
Funding Information
- Total funding available: $500,000
- Award Amounts Available: Awards are available for up to $10,000 with a 25% match required by applicants. If multiple small businesses share the same façade, they can submit a joint application for up to $20,000 with the same 25% match.
Eligible Activities
- Brick and Stone Masonry: Structural repairs, cleaning, re-pointing and painting
- Architectural Metals: Repair, cleaning, refinishing, painting, duplication, and restoration of exterior building components
- Doors and Upper Story Windows: Maintenance, repairs, replacement and restoration of window sash, exterior doors, and installation of storm windows in conjunction with other significant façade improvements
- Exterior Woodwork: Maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and restoration of sills, window and door frames, bulk heads, storefront and roof cornices, window hoods, and decorative moldings
- Repair of unsafe sidewalks
- Storefronts: Removal of inappropriate coverings and additions, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and restoration of display and transom windows and lighting
- Signage: Maintenance, repair, removal, and replacement in connection with real property improvements.
- Exterior Painting: Surface preparation, painting, and cleaning
- Awnings: Installation, repair, and maintenance of fabric awnings, in connection with real property improvements
- Exterior Lighting: External lighting fixtures, both for signage and building lighting
- Various exterior improvements deemed acceptable by the design committee
- Ineligible activities are Landscaping, new fences, retaining walls, site improvements, paving, parking lots, roofs.
Eligibility Criteria
- The City’s ARPA grant programs are designed to support residents, organizations, programs, and activities that benefit City of Scranton residents and community. Per the Final Rule, the U.S. Treasury recognizes small businesses located within a QCT area as disproportionately impacted and eligible to receive funding. Below are general eligibility requirements that all eligible small business applicants must meet:
- Must qualify as a small business – The City of Scranton has defined a small business as business with 50 or fewer full-time and/or part-time employees
- Must be physically located in the City of Scranton
- Must have an address located within a QCT area per the map provided in the grant application
- Be in good standing and registered with the City Single Tax Office as well as current with local taxes and trash fees
- Must have no current unpaid code enforcement liens or violations of any state, federal or local laws
- Must be current on all taxes including payroll, sales, unemployment, property, State, and Federal
- No owners have been convicted of financial crimes within the past three (3) years
- If applicable, façade plans must seek approval of the HARB Historical Architecture Review Board
- Applicants are required to meet all codes and ordinances of the City of Scranton. Applicants are also required to secure any necessary permit(s) from the City of Scranton before work may commence. There will be no reimbursement if code or ordinance violations exist
- The project must use a contractor; licensed in the City of Scranton
- Provide proof of insurance to the satisfaction of the City prior to the receipt of any funding
- During the period beginning on September 20, 2022 – September 20, 2023, the applicant has not received alternate Federal grant funding to cover these same costs or uses.
For more information, visit City of Scranton.
