Crown Point Historic Preservation Board approves $16,000 façade grant and final downtown payment; approves invoice list

Crown Point City nd its Historic Preservation Board on Oct. 31 approved a $16,000 façade grant payment for repairs to a south-side wall at 105 North Court Street and authorized a final façade payment for work at 219–221 North Main Street, and approved an invoice payment list, all by voice vote during the board meeting.

Owner Alyssa Bowen told the board she is the owner of the property at 105 (listed in the application as 105 North Court Street) and said a windstorm earlier this summer blew the coping off the top of the south brick wall, exposing deteriorated brick and allowing water into the gym. "My name is Alyssa. I'm owner of the 105 North Fourth Street, on the Square Sports Academy," Bowen said, describing the damage and the repair work under way. She said contractor RCO Masonry removed the top 4 feet of a 120-foot wall and is installing about 960 square feet of new brick, adding clay tile coping and tuckpointing and completing water sealing.

Board staff told the board they discovered a prior façade grant payment on the same building dated Nov. 7, 2022, for $20,877.50. Staff said the board generally limits façade grant payouts to one payment per building every five years and that the program has a maximum disbursement of up to $25,000 in that period. Staff said the applicant could ask the board to provide the remaining available funds on the building. The applicant initially requested a 50 percent match of the estimated $32,000 repair cost, or $16,000; staff noted the earlier payout would leave $4,122.50 remaining under the five-year cap. Despite that earlier payout, a board member moved and the board seconded a motion to approve $16,000 for the 105 North Court Street project; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

Board member Melissa (last name not given) spoke in favor of the project on behalf of the Historic Preservation Board, saying the applicant had worked with the city's historic-preservation staff and Indiana Landmarks and had preserved and improved historic features with the new clay tile and tuckpointing.

At 219–221 North Main Street, property representative Ryan Fleming told the board that the staged renovation petition from about a year earlier had been completed roughly 60 days before the meeting and that bills had been paid. A staff member reported an on-site inspection verifying the work and told the board the final payment amount was $14,972.07. During the motion to approve the final payment, a board speaker cited $14,072.07; the motion carried by voice vote. (The transcript records both figures; the staff-stated figure was $14,972.07 and the motion referenced $14,072.07.)

The board also approved the meeting minutes and an invoice payment list identified as Payment List Number 20251031 by voice vote during the same session.

Discussion during the façade agenda items touched on whether work on different sides of a building constitutes distinct façade work for the five-year limit: staff said prior work had been on the front of the building, while the recent repairs were on the rear/south side, and that the board could consider work on different street-facing sides separately. No formal directive beyond the approvals was recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve minutes of the previous meeting: approved by voice vote (mover/second not specified). - Façade grant, 105 North Court Street: motion to approve $16,000 (50% of a $32,000 estimate); approved by voice vote. Staff noted a prior payout of $20,877.50 on Nov. 7, 2022, and program limit of up to $25,000 per building every five years; applicant had been told $4,122.50 remained under that limit but the board approved $16,000. - Final façade payment, 219–221 North Main Street: staff inspection verified completed work; staff stated $14,972.07 as the final payment amount; the motion cited $14,072.07; approved by voice vote. - Approval of invoices, Payment List Number 20251031: approved by voice vote.

Ending: The board closed the described agenda items after the approvals and moved on to subsequent business.