The City of Fairmont, through the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, has developed a Façade Rehabilitation Grant Program.
Donor Name: City of Fairmont
State: West Virginia
City: Fairmont
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 03/20/2024
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Façade Grant seeks to encourage private investment in the community by assisting property owners and business owners with repairs and improvements to commercial buildings and businesses in the City’s neighborhood commercial districts. Ensuring Fairmont has a vibrant downtown, main corridor, and riverfront area is critical to the City’s long-term growth and prosperity for area residents and businesses alike.
Funding Information
The Façade Grant is a reimbursable grant requiring a 30% match. To help offset the rising cost of materials and doing business, commercial property owners and business owners can apply for up to $10,000 in grant funds to rehabilitate a building’s façade or make interior improvements related to the front facade.
At the publishing of this application, a total of $150,000 will be available, $100,000 of which will be available within Preferred Development Areas (PDAs), and $50,000 of which will be available outside of PDAs.
Uses of funds
Construction work of the included components must not have begun on the proposed project prior to applying and being approved for the grant.
Example: Building has an active permit in which the door and windows on a storefront would be replaced. An application is submitted which includes new windows, doors, and brick on the storefront. The windows and doors would be ineligible for the grant funding.
Grant funds can be used for the following types of improvements:
Exterior Improvements:
- Rehabilitation, reconstruction, or restoration of the exterior streetside of a building’s facade, including structural components integral to the facade.
- Glass, windows, doors, lintels, trim and accessories that are a part of the streetside facade.
- Signage, lighting, awnings, and similar exterior work to the facade.
- Cleaning the structure’s exterior using approved methods.
- Restoration of cornices, caps, parapet walls and storm water drainage systems including gutters and downspouts.
- Provisions that enable Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility without detracting from the building’s appearance.
- Streetscaping which includes at minimum 8′ wide sidewalks and street furniture for seating, or approved street trees.
- Design services from a licensed architect or engineer related solely to the design of the scope of work for the facade project requested.
Eligibility Criteria
- This grant is available to commercial buildings and business owners in the Neighborhood Mixed Use, Main Corridor Commercial, City Center Districts, and Industrial Districts.
- $100,000 of total funds will be made available for the identified Preferred Development Areas. $50,000 of total funds will be made available for businesses located outside of a Preferred Development Area. These amounts may change at later dates if more funding is allocated to the project. These areas are noted on the official Future Land Use Map of the City, adopted in 2018.
- Potential applicants must be the building owner on record or business owner having a lease agreement that will be in effect at least two years upon project completion.
- A property owner must include a copy of the deed to the property. For a business to be eligible, the application must include a copy of a signed lease agreement at least two years in length for the eligible commercial unit along with a letter from the property owner endorsing the project.
- Applicants must confirm that they have received no other grant funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic to include the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act for this project.
- Applicants and contractors must be in good standing with local taxes, fees, and licensing.
- All project designs must be approved by the State Historic Preservation Office
- Proposed restoration and improvements must meet the requirements of the City of Fairmont Zoning Code, such as primary entrance location and transparency requirements. See Development Standards for the zoning district where your building is located.
For more information, visit City of Fairmont.
