The City of Alameda’s Façade Grant Program provides business and property owners with matching grants to improve their storefronts and enhance the city’s retail districts.
Donor Name: City of Alameda
State: California
City: Alameda
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/28/2023
Size of the Grant: Up to $15,000
Details:
Under the Façade Grant Program, business and property owners may be eligible for matching grants up to $15,000 for exterior painting, new awnings and signs, and refurbishment of architectural features.
Levels of Funding
The Program provides 50/50 matching grants. Three levels of grant funding are available:
- Level One: To be used for signage and awnings. The maximum grant amount is 50% of the grantee’s cost up to $5,000.
- Level Two: To be used for paint and signage that is historic, large-scale, neon or marquee style. The maximum grant amount is 50% of the grantee’s cost up to $10,000.
- Level Three: To be used for all Level One or Two improvements, plus the restoration/refurbishment of architectural elements such as transom windows, cornices, trim and other architectural details. The maximum grant amount is 50% of the grantee’s cost up to $15,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Location, Business and Property Type: The following business/properties within the City locations described below are eligible to participate in the Program:
- Retail, restaurant, theater or service* businesses.
- Commercial properties that include retail, restaurant, theaters or service businesses.
- Other commercial businesses/property types (cultural, office, etc.) are considered on a case-by-case basis, so long as the business or property is located within one of the following City areas:
- Webster Street Business District.
- Downtown Alameda Business District.
- A Historic Station area, including: Grand, Mastick, Bay, South High St. Chestnut, Morton, Versailles, Willow, Fifth Street, Caroline, High Street North and Stanton.
- A Gateway into the City, including: Webster Tube, Park Street Bridge, Fruitvale Bridge, High Street Bridge and the Doolittle Drive entrance area.
- The business property must have a front or side façade that is visible from one of the above gateways.
- Naval Air Station Historic District.
- Shopping centers and business parks are not eligible to participate in the Program.
*Service businesses include, among others: personal and pet care services (barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons, pet grooming, etc.), repair services (auto, furniture, electronics, etc.), laundry and dry-cleaning services, caterers, hotels, and fitness centers.
Improvements: Improvements eligible to be made with Program funds must enhance or restore the physical condition or appearance of the building. Types of eligible improvements include, but are not limited to:
- Painting;
- New, or refurbishment of existing, awnings;
- New signs, and/or replacement, retrofit, or restoration of legacy signs;
- Sign removal;
- Constructed outdoor eating areas;**
- Window and/or door replacement;
- Replacement or refurbishment of non-structural materials/features such as cornice bands, parapets and similar architectural features; and
- Rehabilitation of historic features.
- **Park lets are not eligible at this time.
- Improvements must comply with:
- All City laws, including its building code, sign regulations and zoning ordinances.
- For properties located in the Webster Street Business District, the Webster Street
- City Design Review requirements.
- Applications will not be accepted for improvements that have already been completed or commenced.
Applicant: A Program application may be submitted by an owner or tenant for an eligible project meeting the requirements described above. If the applicant is a tenant, the owner must also sign the Program application.
- Tenants and owners may apply for separate grants for the same building and/or storefront.
Frequency: Tenants and owners are considered separately in connection with grant applications.
- Owners: Owners may be eligible to apply for and receive one façade grant every five (5) years on any individual building.
- Tenants: Tenants may be eligible to apply for and receive one façade grant every five (5) years on any individual storefront. A new tenant at a particular address may apply for a new façade grant, as long as the ownership of the business has changed.
For more information, visit City of Alameda.
