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North St. Paul EDA advances draft downtown façade grant; final approval set for next month
Summary
The North St. Paul Economic Development Authority reviewed a draft façade improvement grant for downtown businesses that would reimburse up to 50% of project costs (maximum $20,000 per project) and set a program cap of $200,000 for the year. Staff will finalize the program and return with a revised packet next month.
The North St. Paul Economic Development Authority reviewed a draft façade improvement grant program for downtown businesses and directed staff to return next month with a final version for approval.
The draft program, described to the authority by staff, would reimburse 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum grant of $20,000 per property and would require a minimum project cost of $10,000 (a $5,000 minimum grant). The authority set an overall annual program cap of $200,000. Eligible work noted in the draft includes restoration of exterior finishes and materials, masonry repairs including tuckpointing, exterior painting or resurfacing, removal of architecturally inappropriate exterior finishes, repair or replacement of windows and doors, and contracted labor related to eligible improvements (design work capped at 25% of total project cost). The draft also lists signage as an eligible expense.
Executive Director Frandell said the program would be reimbursement-based: business owners must pay contractors, then submit receipts for reimbursement. Authority members asked about lien waivers; staff confirmed the draft already includes a lien-waiver requirement and said the standard one-page title-company form would be acceptable to show that contractors are paid in full.
Board members clarified that staff would administer initial application reviews under the program guidelines and that projects outside the set parameters could be brought to the authority for consideration. Staff reported that one downtown business has already expressed interest in the program.
The authority also discussed an older downtown design manual. Staff recommended sending the 20-year-old manual to the Planning Commission for review rather than using it as a prerequisite to launching the grant program. Board members agreed to proceed with finalizing the grant packet and move the design-manual update separately through the Planning Commission.
The authority asked staff to update the draft to explicitly include signage (per prior board consensus), confirm lien-waiver procedures, and provide a final packet for the next meeting so downtown businesses can review and prepare for summer projects.
Details from the draft and staff comments will be finalized and returned to the authority at its next meeting.
