The Downtown Revitalization and Main Street Program is designed to provide infrastructure improvements to address the conditions that contribute to the deterioration in an area designated as slum or blighted in the applicant community’s downtown or main street area.
Donor Name: Texas Department of Agriculture
State: Texas
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/03/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Eligible Project Areas
For Downtown Revitalization Fund improvements, an eligible project area must meet the required definition for a downtown district AND meet the National Program Objective of Elimination of Slum and/or Blight Conditions.
- Downtown district. The downtown district must be designed to promote pedestrian-centered economic activity and be supported by local documentation, such as a zoning map, local district designation, or other local records.
- Typically, a downtown district will meet the following criteria:
- The city’s historic area of commerce or economic center of the community;
- The area around the courthouse or city square, if the improvements will primarily serve non-governmental buildings; and/or
- The primary business or retail district for the community that does not include single-family dwellings.
- TDA will make the final determination of whether an area is considered a “downtown district” for purposes of this program.
- Typically, a downtown district will meet the following criteria:
- Designated area of blighted conditions. For the Downtown Revitalization Program, a community must meet the National Program Objective of Elimination of Slum and/or Blight Conditions.
- An area within a municipality may be considered as slum or blighted if the area is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the municipality because the area:
- Has a predominance of buildings or other improvements that are dilapidated, deteriorated, or obsolete due to age or other reasons (minimum 25% of buildings in the area);
- Is prone to high population densities and overcrowding due to inadequate provision for open space;
- Is composed of open land that, because of its location within municipal limits, is necessary for sound community growth through replatting, planning, and development for predominantly residential uses; or
- Has conditions that exist which:
- Endanger life or property by fire or other causes; or
- Are conducive to the ill health of the residents, disease transmission, abnormally high rates of infant mortality, abnormally high rates of juvenile delinquency and crime, or disorderly development because of inadequate or improper platting for adequate residential development of lots, streets, and public utilities.
- An area within a municipality may be considered as slum or blighted if the area is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the municipality because the area:
Funding Information
- Grant Amount: $500,000.
- Minimum Match Amount: $17,500.
Eligible Project Activities
- Sidewalks and lighting;
- Activities required to eliminate architectural barriers for the disabled;
- Water and/or sewer lines;
- Road construction/rehabilitation to include curb and gutter and related drainage;
- Natural gas lines and related items;
- Electric power lines and transformers;
- Utilities including natural gas and electric;
- High-speed internet infrastructure with prior approval from TDA; or
- Demolition and clearance activity of non-residential structures.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for and to receive funding under the TxCDBG Program, a community must meet all of the following criteria, in accordance with Title 24, Part 570 of the Code of Federal Regulations and Title 4, Part 1, Chapter 30, Subchapter A, Section 30.4 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), and TxCDBG program requirements:
- Qualify as a unit of general local government (UGLG).
- An UGLG is a city, county, town, township, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of the state, or as otherwise defined in 42 U.S.C. §5302. Special purpose political subdivisions are not eligible as TxCDBG applicants.
- Qualify as a non-entitlement community.
- Only communities NOT identified as part of the federal CDBG entitlement program may apply for TxCDBG funding. Entitlement communities are listed in Appendix B. Municipalities located within an entitlement county may elect to participate with either the county program or the state nonentitlement program, but not both, for each three-year period; please contact the entitlement county to confirm eligibility for the current year.
- Levy and collect a local property tax or local sales tax option in the current fiscal year.
- Meet Progress Thresholds for existing TxCDBG grant agreements.
For more information, visit TDA.
