With an eye toward generating continued investment in the downtown district the City of Atchison has created and funded a new Downtown Façade Grant program.
Donor Name: City of Atchison
State: Kansas
City: Atchison
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): Ongoing
Grant Size: $2,500
Details:
In 2021 the City of Atchison created the 500-600 Commercial Street Façade Grant Program to assist property owners with improving the facades of Commercial Street that had been obscured by concrete canopies and a pedestrian mall for ~60 years. Three rounds of façade grants were awarded to property owners/tenants.
Funding Information
- The $90,000 in total City funds leveraged nearly $600,000 of private investment in just those two blocks.
- Looking to expand on that success the City will now offer façade grants throughout the downtown district with $50,000 appropriated toward the program in 2022.
- Grant awards are expected to max out around $2,500 per standard storefront length property (22.5 ft. wide) and no award will exceed 50% of the total eligible expenses incurred by the applicant.
Use of Funds
Permanent exterior improvements on commercial or mixed-use buildings. Façades must be visible from a public right-of-way.
- Architectural, engineering, or design fees.
- Masonry repairs and tuck pointing.
- Repair/replace/preserve historically significant architectural details.
- Storefront reconstruction back to original basis.
- Cornice repair, exterior painting, and stucco work.
- Awnings, canopies, windows, doors, and exterior lighting.
- Permanent exteriorsignage and repair/replacement of gutters and down spouts.
- Ineligible items include, but are not limited to: roofing, alley-side, non-visible, and interior building work.
Eligible projects must be located inside the City of Atchison’s downtown district and include permanent exterior improvements on commercial or mixed use buildings. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, tuck pointing, storefront restoration, awnings/canopy installation, and painting.
Eligibility Criteria
- Property owners/occupants within the City of Atchison’s Downtown District.
- Scope of work must comply with the downtown design guidelines.
- Application must be signed by the legal property owner, though tenants are welcome to apply and fund improvements if they so choose.
- Must be a non-government organization and current with property taxes, assessments, and city utility accounts.
- Banks and Credit Unions are not directly eligible, though tenants in bank or credit union buildings are eligible.
For more information, visit City of Atchison.