Owners looking to restore historic features on “highly visible” buildings are the ones most likely to receive grants from a new Façade Improvement Program, according to a new set of draft project guidelines.
Urban renewal authority members are creating a competitive grant process for the Façade Improvement Program. The new program is meant to encourage property owners “to make exterior improvements that will revitalize the area and attract customers to shop, dine and do business in Fort Lupton,” according to the guidelines
While the Facade Improvement Program would bring aesthetic changes to downtown storefronts, it also is intended to stimulate economic growth by attracting more commerce and future investment to the city, officials say.
Under current plans, urban renewal authority members would review all eligible applications and rank projects based on criteria that encourage appearance upgrades and structural preservation.
“Preference will be given to projects that have a high visible impact on public streets and for projects that seek to restore historic features of a building,” the new guidelines say.
Making the program competitive can help create more impact on downtown, said Alyssa Knutson, a city planner for Fort Lupton who also is working with the urban renewal authority.
“It lets us have a little bit more flexibility with the amount that is going to the program each year,” Knutson said.
Applicants chosen to receive money would pay 50 percent of the total needed to improve building façades, while the Fort Lupton Urban Renewal Authority would pay the rest, including 10 percent of the total project cost up front, according to the draft project guidelines.
Knutson said she incorporated comments into the new guidelines from urban renewal authority members, business owners and other residents.
“This is a first draft,” Knutson said.
Urban renewal authority members may vote to approve a set of final project guidelines soon, and Façade Improvement Program applications may be considered in January, officials have said. The project area generally is expected to be along Denver Avenue and Main Street between 11th and Dexter streets.
A building “facade” is defined as the street-facing side or sides. In addition “the improvements must be visible to the public from the street,” according to the new draft project guidelines.
Building owners may want to restore original brick or masonry, restore original architectural design elements, replace windows and update exterior lighting, painting and signage, according to the new guidelines.
Applicants must submit an estimated budget with two contractor estimates, provide drawings of what the project will look like, and include a certificate of property ownership, or permission from a building owner.
The urban renewal authority also urges potential applicants to meet with the Fort Lupton Historic Preservation Board. Applicants also should refer to the federal Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and make sure planned projects meet those recommendations.
No budget amount has been set yet for the program. The urban renewal authority’s annual budget comes from tax increment financing – which is the additional property tax gathered as property values in the project area increase going back into doing upgrades to help a particular area. Knutson said FLURA’s 2017 budget is still being determined, as is the amount the Façade Improvement Program will receive.
The urban renewal authority’s next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at City Hall, 130 S. McKinley Ave. More information is available by calling city staff at 303-857-6694.