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: 04/10/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
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 façade rehabilitations can have on the overall appearance and quality of storefronts.
Funding Information
The City has proposed a budget of $30,000 for 2026 with a maximum award of $15,000 for a single project, funded by the Downtown TIF.
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).
For more information, visit City of Freeport.
