Facade Improvement Grant

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Untitled1The City of Pinckneyville's Façade Improvement Grant Program was created as part of an overall redevelopment program to improve the quality of life for our downtown businesses and visitors. The program is designed to assist property and business owners in rehabilitating the commercial façades of their properties for the purpose of creating a positive visual impact, stimulating private investment, and complementing other community revitalization efforts. Participants are eligible to receive a 50/50 matching grant, up to $10,000, for design improvements to commercial properties within the Business District (see attached map) upon the completion of their project. Applications are available from the Economic Development Office located at 203 North Walnut Street, Suite C or by clicking here.


SELECTION CRITERIA

  1. Eligible applicant.
  2. Eligible location in “Business District” area.
  3. Project site a qualifying structure.
  4. Eligible activities.
  5. Conformance to design standards and guidelines (aka “Façade Improvement Guidelines”).
  6. Reasonable and verifiable cost estimates of eligible activities.
NOTE: Within the above framework of criteria, grants will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a general rule, this Program will allow one grant per property.
 
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Property owners and business owners/tenants lessees, with written authorization of the property owner, in the Pinckneyville Business District area may be eligible to participate in the program. A business owner must own the building or have a current lease with a minimum of five (5) years remaining and have been operating in Pinckneyville for more than one (1) year. All real property taxes must be paid in full. Grants are made only in connection with a qualifying structure and for eligible activities that conform to design standards. The following types of projects are specifically excluded:

  • New Construction
  • National Franchises
  • Government offices and agencies
  • Properties entirely in residential use
  • Projects that are inconsistent with the goals of the business district plan and the City's Comprehensive Plan
  • Properties that have received grants from the City's Facade Improvement grant within the last 5 years 

ELIGIBLE PROJECT LOCATION

The project site must be located in the designated “Business District” area. Click here to see the designated area.
 
QUALIFYING STRUCTURES

Qualifying commercial properties include single-purpose retail and office buildings, and mixed-use buildings containing combinations of retail, office and residential apartments. Structures that are wholly residential shall not qualify.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

Eligible activities may involve the major maintenance, repair, general rehabilitation, and restoration of commercial storefronts and upper story facades. It may also include the removal and replacement of commercial signs and awnings.

Specifically, eligible activities include the following types:

1. BRICK AND STONE MASONRY
   • Structural repairs, cleaning, repointing, and painting

2. ARCHITECTURAL METALS
   • Repair, cleaning, refinishing, painting, duplication, and restoration of exterior building components, e.g., cast iron, pressed tin

3. DOORS AND UPPER WINDOWS
   • Maintenance, repairs, replacement, and restoration of window sashes, exterior doors, and installation of storm windows in conjunction with other significant façade improvements

4. EXTERIOR WOODWORK
   • Maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and restoration of sills, window and door frames, bulkheads, storefront and roof cornices, window hoods, and decorative molding

5. STOREFRONTS
   • Removal of inappropriate coverings and additions, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, restoration of display and transom windows, and lighting

6. SIGNAGE
   • Maintenance, repair, removal, and/or replacement; lighting. (Note: The Review Committee reserves the right to recommend alternative styles, colors, etc., and to approval/deny signs that they feel to do not complement the style of the building or the aesthetics of the downtown streetscape.)

7. PAINTING
   • Surface preparation, cleaning and painting

8. AWNINGS
   • Maintenance, installation, repair, or replacement of awnings. Awnings to be replaced must show considerable wear, as determined by the Review Committee. (Note: The Review Committee reserves the right to recommend alternative styles, colors, materials, etc., and to approval/deny awnings that they feel to do not complement the style of the building or the aesthetics of the streetscape.)

9. HANDICAPPED ACCESS PROJECTS
   • Ramps, thresholds, entrances (only in conjunction with other design improvements)

**Disclaimer. The City of Pinckneyville disclaims any responsibility for ensuring that improvements undertaken through its Facade Improvement
Grant Program comply with the requirements of ADA. Owners should seek their own legal-architectural-engineering advice concerning ADA
compliance. Receipt of approval of a grant in no way constitutes approval of ADA or any other (including state or local) requirements. Further, we do not accept any responsibility for any errors in improvements or omissions concerning construction, engineering, architectural matters or the like.
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Projects NOT eligible under this funding include the following:

  1. Interior work.
  2. Removal of architectural details.
  3. Covering of stable architectural details.
  4. Parking Lot Paving.
  5. Installation of Seasonal Planting or Seasonal Landscaping.
  6. Refinancing Existing Debt.
  7. Energy conservation measures that do not enhance the facade.
  8. Facades that do NOT face a main artery (Main, Water, Walnut, State Route 154 & 127, Kennedy, etc).
  9. Improvements made prior to grant approval.