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Economic Development Division | 389 Congress Street | Room 308 | Portland, Maine 04101 | 207-874-8683

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facade improvement program

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Application Grant Funding Eligibility

 

The Facade Program has received funding for a second round, which will begin in Summer 2012. Further information on the due date for applications, submission requirements and a workshop date will be posted to the website by July 1, 2012, when funding for the program begins.

Program Goal and Description

The City of Portland has established a Façade Improvement Program to help strengthen the revitalization of Congress Street from Washington Avenue to Weymouth Street (the targeted area). The Program offers grant funds and design assistance to property and business owners to be matched by their equal or greater investment of private funds for the purpose of restoring/renovating commercial storefronts and replacing deteriorated or poor quality commercial signs and awnings. A Program Committee will evaluate applications to determine eligibility and, based on a set of criteria (listed below), make grant awards to those proposed projects that are determined will have the greatest impact on enhancing the targeted area.

Specific Objectives in Targeted Area

• Encourage private investment in the visual improvement of storefronts, signs and awnings;
• Enhance the appearance of the streetscape;
• Reduce vacancies in storefronts and upper floors;
• Expand worker and shopper populations in the Arts District;
• Strengthen or restore the original character of historic buildings;
• Provide a catalyst for others to improve their buildings, signs and awnings.

Program Funding

The Facade Improvement Program is funded through the City of Portland’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

     Grant for storefront façade improvement will fund half the cost of construction up to a maximum grant amount of $20,000, plus half the architect’s fee (at a rate of 8% of the cost of construction) up to a maximum grant amount of $1,600. The grant recipient’s private match must provide a minimum of 50% of the cost of construction and a minimum of 50% of the architect’s fee. In addition to the required private match, the grant recipient is responsible for all project costs that exceed $40,000 for construction and $3,200 for architectural fees.

     Grant for new sign or awning will fund 50% of the cost up to a maximum of $2,000. The grant recipient’s private match must provide a minimum of 50% of the cost of the new sign or awning. The grant recipient is responsible for project costs that exceed $4,000.

Sample Funding Scenarios

A. Total cost of storefront façade improvement: $25,000

• Grant - $12,500 for construction + $1,000 architectural fee = $13,500
• Private Match - $12,500 for construction + $1,000 architectural fee = $13,500

B. Total cost of storefront façade improvement: $50,000

• Grant - $20,000 for construction + $1,600 architect’s fee = $21,600
• Private Match - $30,000 for construction + $2,400 architect’s fee = $32,400

C. Total cost of new sign or awning: $2,000

• Grant - $1,000
• Private Match -$1,000

D. Total cost of new sign or awning: $5,000

• Grant - $2,000
• Private Match - $3,000

Applicants for the Portland Façade Improvement Program may also be eligible for the Maine Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Contact Mike Johnson at the Maine Historic Preservation Commission (207-287-2132) with any questions.

Eligibility for Façade Improvement Program

• Eligible projects include commercial storefronts, signs and awnings that are located on Congress Street from Washington Avenue to Weymouth Street, and visible from the public way on Congress Street;
• The grant applicant must be a building owner or business owner leasing a storefront;
• Tenants must have the property owner’s signed approval for proposed projects;
• For sign and awning projects, tenant must have at least two years remaining in lease at location of proposed project and/or option to renew for at least two years;
• Each applicant may be awarded only one Façade Program grant;
• Building projects must be designed by a qualified design professional and signs must be produced by a professional sign maker;
• The project applicant must owe no outstanding property taxes, fees, judgments, or liens to the City of Portland and have no outstanding code violations.

Ineligible Activities

• Interior repairs not integral to the exterior façade improvement;
• New building construction;
• Purchase of property/equipment.

Application Review Criteria

The Façade Improvement Program Committee (composed of City staff from economic development, historic preservation and community development) will evaluate applications for eligibility and how effectively they meet the program criteria. It is anticipated that there will be more demand than available funds. Funding will be provided to those applications receiving the overall highest scores until the grant funds are exhausted.

Specifically, a project application will be scored on how well it meets each of the program criteria, using a rating scale from 0 (does not meet the criterion at all) to 5 (completely meets the criterion). A total point score will be based on the sum of the ratings. The criteria are as follows:

A. Degree of visual improvement the proposed project will bring to the storefront and the streetscape;

B. Design Consistency/Compatibility with the standards/guidelines as follows:

For designated historic buildings and signs on these buildings: Consistency with the City of Portland Historic Preservation Ordinance Review Standards. These standards address building alterations as well as signs and awnings. Copies are available at City Hall in the Planning Office (4th floor) and the Economic Development Office, Room 308 (3rd floor). For assistance understanding and applying these standards contact Deb Andrews (874-8726) or Scott Hanson (756-8023).

For non-historic buildings and signs on these buildings: Consistency with City of Portland Downtown Urban Design Guidelines. These guidelines address building alterations as well as signs and awnings. Copies are available at City Hall in the Planning Office (4th floor) and the Economic Development Office, Room 308 (3rd floor). For assistance understanding and applying these standards contact Deb Andrews (874-8726) or Scott Hanson (756-8023).

C. Visual prominence of the project building and its location.

D. Given limited program resources, additional points will be given to applications in which the private investment will be greater than 50% of the project budget.

Please note that grant funds will not pay for expenses incurred prior to the grant award and prior to Program Committee approval of invoices.

Contacts for Façade Improvement Program

Nelle Hanig, Economic Development Division
756-8019 or nrh@portlandmaine.gov

Deb Andrews, Historic Preservation
874-8726 or dga@portlandmaine.gov

Amy Grommes Pulaski, Community Development
874-8731 or avp@portlandmaine.gov