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BID staff recommends changes to facade grant timeline; committee to review June 17
Summary
Staff proposed moving the BID facade grant announcement from December/January to October/November to give property owners more lead time for permits and bids; the facade grant committee will review program tweaks at its June 17 meeting.
BID staff recommended adjusting the facade grant cycle to improve participation and give property owners more time to prepare permits and contractor bids.
Staff said the current schedule (announced in December with early-January applications) clashes with the holidays and leaves applicants little time to obtain permits and contractor estimates. The staff recommendation is to announce the program in October or November, award grants before Thanksgiving, and execute contracts after the new year so applicants have January through March to obtain permits and be ready for spring construction.
Staff noted $7,500 remained unawarded from the current year; the second round of applications opened May 1 with a May 22 deadline and a facade committee meeting scheduled for June 17 to review applications. Staff suggested additional supports such as paying for architectural fees or offering design assistance and partnering with WEDC for supplemental resources.
The facade grant committee will meet June 17 to consider adjusting the timeline and other program tweaks. No formal change to the grant schedule or funding was adopted at the full BID meeting; the committee was asked to present recommendations for the board to consider.
