Economic Development Division

All Facade Program grant funds have been awarded. No further funds will be available unless or until the Program is re-capitalized.

Program Goal and Description

The City of Portland has established a Façade Improvement Program to help strengthen the revitalization of Congress Street from Monument Square to Longfellow Square (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 with $84,856 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 up to a maximum grant amount of $1,600. [The City’s Program Architect will provide design services for a fee that is 8% of the cost of construction.] 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 recipients may use their own architect if they wish.

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 Monument to Longfellow Squares 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) and a Program Architect 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.

Submission Requirements
Applicants must submit an application with required attachments to the City’s Economic Development Division, City Hall, 389 Congress Street, Room 308, Portland, Maine 04101, by 4:30 PM, Friday November 7, 2008. Applications will be considered only if they are filled out completely and include the following attachments:

1) Description of proposed improvement project (for example, storefront elements you wish to restore or renovate such as siding material or the configuration of shop windows, or a new sign or awning);
2) Simple sketch of project, if possible, but this item is not required. If a sketch is provided, please indicate relationship to abutting buildings;
3) List of proposed materials, if known;
4) Photographs of existing conditions of project, including abutting building(s);
5) Description of source of private funding match. If source is other than applicant’s readily available funds, then please provide a letter of commitment or other documentation indicating availability and commitment of funds.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Nelle Hanig (756-8019 or nrh@portlandmaine.gov) in the City’s Economic Development Division to discuss their projects prior to submitting applications.

Informational Workshop
An informational workshop will be held on Monday, October 6th in Room 24 in City Hall (basement level) to provide an overview of the program, answer questions about eligibility, provide guidance on the information sought in the application, and discuss the criteria that will be used to score applications.

Process for Reviewing Applications
Upon receipt of Façade Improvement Program applications, the Program Committee and the Program Architect will review each application for eligibility, determine its feasibility (including proposed private investment and total cost), and assign a preliminary score based on the program criteria. Those that receive the highest scores will be designated Tier One applications. Meetings with each of the Tier One applicants will be scheduled with the Program Committee and Program Architect to discuss project design, budgets, matching funds and timelines. After these meetings, the Committee will determine final scores and award grants to those that score highest. A grant contract will be provided to the applicant within a few weeks for review. Once the contract is executed, the Program Architect will begin work on the concept sketch for the grant recipient.

Those with the second highest ratings will be designated Tier Two applications. If funds remain after awards are given to the Tier One group or if a Tier One project for any reason is not able to meet program requirements, the Committee will schedule a meeting with the highest rated Tier Two project. The purpose of this meeting will be to provide guidance on modifications to the project design and feasibility to increase its score and, thereby, meet the objectives of the Façade Improvement Program. This project will then be considered for a grant award.

Conditions for Participation
Each applicant chosen for participation in the Façade Improvement Program will be informed of the grant award via a letter from the City. The applicant will be required to sign a contract with the City to the effect that the conditions of the City of Portland Façade Improvement Program are understood and will be abided by, as follows:

Storefront Projects

Architectural Assistance: The Façade Program will utilize a Program Architect who will be available to provide architectural services for all storefront projects (excluding signs and awnings). In addition to reviewing all submitted applications with the Program Committee, the Program Architect (or an architect of the grantee's choosing) will draft a concept sketch, develop concept drawings, prepare those drawings for the bid process, hold a pre-bid meeting if needed, hold a pre-construction meeting if needed, and respond to contractor questions that go beyond the expertise of City staff for each of the storefront projects. In exchange for these services, the architect will receive a fee that is 8% of the construction cost of each storefront project he/she designs. As noted in the Program Funding section, grant funds will be available to cover 50% of the cost of design fees up to $1,600. The remaining architectural fees will be the responsibility of the grant recipient. These funds will be made available whether the grant recipient works with the Program Architect or another architect. If grantees choose to work with their own architect, the design drawings must still be reviewed and approved by the Program Committee.
Engineering Services: If the conditions of a storefront project require the assistance of an engineer, early on or after construction has begun, the cost of engineering will be the responsibility of the grant recipient.
Project Approvals: Storefront projects must comply with all applicable state and local permits. In some cases, projects will require Historic Preservation Board or Planning Board approval. All design drawings must be reviewed and approved by the Program Committee.
Contractor proposals: Storefront grant recipients will be encouraged to put projects out to bid for construction services, preferably getting quotes from three vendors. Whether or not this is done, the construction proposal chosen by the grant recipient must be reviewed and approved by the Program Committee for cost reasonableness and contractor qualifications. Contractor proposals must include scope of work, itemized project budget, timeline and qualifications.
Contractors Compliance: Since the grant funds are federal monies, contractors will need to abide by federal wage rates and regulations (Davis-Bacon). The City will provide assistance with compliance. If a project is over $50,000 the contractor should be bondable. If a project is over $100,000 the contractor should post a performance bond.
Pre-Construction Meeting: A pre-construction meeting with the Program Committee is required prior to any work commencing on a storefront project.

Sign and Awning Projects

Approvals and Bids: Sign and awning grant recipients must have their final project design approved by the Program Committee prior to any work commencing and must comply will all applicable state and local permits, and approvals. If the project is over $2,000, the grant recipient will be encouraged to put the project out to bid, preferably getting quotes from three vendors.

All Projects

Advance Payment: No grant or private funds may be paid in advance of work being performed.
Invoice Review and Approval: Prior to payment of any invoice for completed work, whether with private funds or grant funds, the invoice must be provided to the Program Committee for review and signed approval that work was completed per the approved drawings. Without this prior approval, grant funds will not be made available for a project. The final invoice will be paid after a Program Committee member has conducted a final inspection and signed off that all work has been satisfactorily completed.
Payment of Private Match: Each grant recipient’s private funding match must be used in its entirety in payment of project invoices before grant funding is made available. Payment of invoices with grant funds will be done by check made out to the grant recipient and the contractor. The grant recipient will then endorse the check over to the contractor to fulfill payment for the invoice.
One Year Completion: The project must be completed within one year from the date of the grant award contract between the grant recipient and the City of Portland.
Improvement Protection: Project improvements will remain unaltered for three years for awnings and signs (unless business closes or leaves current location prior to three years), and remain unaltered for five years for storefront improvements. If the agreement is broken, the grant recipient is responsible for returning 50% of the grant funding to the City of Portland.

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

Scott Hanson, Historic Preservation
874-8023 or sth@portlandmaine.gov

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

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