Façade Grant Guidelines

Section 1-1. Purpose

The City of Victoria finds that the protection, enhancement, and preservation of landmarks of historical importance and significance are necessary to promote the economic, cultural, educational and general welfare of the public. It is recognized that the historic resources of the City represent the unique confluence of time and place that have shaped the identity of generations of citizens, collectively and individually, and these resources constitute the heritage of the citizens of Victoria. The mission of this program is to:

a) Protect, enhance, and preserve the historic resources and landmarks which represent distinctive elements of Victoria’s historic, architectural, economic, ethnic, and social heritage by providing property owners an incentive for protecting their property;

b) Stabilize and improve property values;

c) Foster civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the past, and to promote the use of historic landmarks for the culture, education, and general welfare of the residents of Victoria; and

d) Strengthen the economy of the City by protecting and enhancing the City’s attractiveness to residents and visitors, as well as provide support and stimulus to business;

e) Meet 2021 Downtown Master Plan goal: Downtown will have a dedicated and sustainable incentive program to encourage development and redevelopment in the area.

In order to facilitate the preservation of downtown, the City of Victoria is offering incentives that will improve existing properties and businesses within the Main Street Program District.

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Section 1-2. Administration

The program is administered by the City of Victoria Main Street Program. Funding is provided by the Victoria Sales Tax Corporation.

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Section 1-3. Eligibility Criteria

All of the following eligibility criteria must be met:
a) Property must be listed on the Historic Resources Survey of Victoria OR must be a minimum of 30 years old.

b) Eligible property must be within the Main Street Program District.

c) Applicants must agree to maintain the subject building in good repair for five years from the completion of the project. Applicants must agree not to change or alter property improvements funded through the Downtown Façade Grant program for a minimum period of three years from the date of the final reimbursement check.

d) Property must be owner-occupied or tenant-occupied. In the case of a tenant occupied structure, the applicant must have the owner’s consent. If leasing, the participant/applicant must:

1. Have written approval for participation in the program from the property owner
2. Have at least two years remaining on the lease and
3. Be in good legal and financial standing with the property owner. The participant/applicant must not have any major actual or pending criminal claims or bankruptcy filings.

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e) All work must be done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

f) All taxes and other government fees and assessments must be current on the property.

g) Property cannot be subject to an Order for Demolition.

h) Façade is defined as the front exterior or back exterior of a building and other exterior side when they are emphasized.

i) Eligible Expenditures (mostly or exclusively exterior):

1. Architectural and engineering fees related to eligible expenses
2. Awnings or canopies in character with the building and streetscape
3. Cleaning (major)
4. Compatible new construction
5. Door/window replacement
6. Exterior murals
7. Gutters
8. Lighting that is visually appealing and appropriately illuminates signage, storefront
9. Painting
10. Preserving or restoring of historical architectural elements
11. Rehabilitation of contributing structures
12. Removal/replacement of incompatible exterior finishes or materials
13. Removal of false facades and other inappropriate additions
14. Restoration of historic signs or ghost signs
15. Roofing
16. Signs (new, repairs, replacements, removal)

j) Ineligible Expenditures (mostly or exclusively interior):

1. Appliances
2. Capital equipment purchases
3. Cleaning (minor)
4. Decorative treatments
5. Electrical and or plumbing (major)
6. Entrance ramps for ADA compliance
7. Escalators and/or elevators
8. Furniture
9. Government fees
10. Incompatible new construction
11. Legal, financing, leasing, rental and other administrative and financing expenses
12. Maintenance activities
13. Owner and/or/tenant labor
14. Paint, floor, wall, window or ceiling treatments
15. Plumbing(Major)
16. Recessing or reconfiguring entrances
17. Repair tools and equipment
18. Security Systems
19. Taxes
20. Wall construction and partitions
21. Other (as determined on a case-by-case basis)

k) Entities that are ineligible to receive funds include:

1. Tax-exempt organizations (i.e. charitable organizations, churches or religious organizations, private foundations, nonprofit organizations, etc.)
2. Taxing Entities (i.e. Victoria County, Victoria County Junior College District, Navigation District, Victoria Independent School District.)

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Section 1-4. Grant Assistance

a) Program assistance is available for two different types of projects:

1. Façade Restoration – As listed in Section 1-3. Grants are available with a cap of $10,000. (For example: Applicant must provide a $10,000.00 dollar match if awarded the cap amount of $10,000.00 thus making it a total cost of $20,000.00)
2. Other improvements may be allowed on a case-by-case basis such as projects that are necessary to stabilize a structure, improve energy efficiencies and/or meet building code requirements.

b) Grants are provided on a 50/50 matching basis up to the maximum grant amount.

c) Grants will not be provided for work that is already completed.

d) The maximum grant generally will not exceed $10,000 of matching funds per property and is subject to available funds as established by the Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation unless otherwise approved Certain façade grants may be considered for increased over $10,000 matching funds and must satisfy the following objectives to be considered for an increase of funding:

1. Project(s) must serve as a revitalization anchor that significantly increases other private reinvestment within the Victoria Main Street Program boundaries; or
2. Project(s) that are so significant in revitalization efforts that the scope of work stands on its own and meets all objectives of this grant program to increase the amount of public expenditure. 3. Receive approval for funding from the VSTDC board of directors.

e) The grant is set up as a single payment reimbursement to the applicant upon completion of the project.

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Section 1-5. Grant Application Procedure

a) At the start of the fiscal year (October 1st), the City will publish an announcement of funding availability and hold a façade grant workshop

b) If funds are still available after the initial application period, grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis until total funds are depleted.

c) Property owner submits an application along with any required supporting documentation (i.e. drawings, photographs, contractor bids, tax
certificate, etc.).

d) Application will be reviewed by Victoria Main Street, Development Services and Fire Marshall Staff for completeness.

e) After submittal of a grant application, a preliminary site visit will be made by Victoria Main Street and Development Services staff. The site will be
photographed, and repairs/maintenance reviewed with the property owner.

f) Property owner and City will execute a contract outlining the scope of work eligible for reimbursement.

g) Work must be completed within one year from the date of the contract.

h) Grants will be set up as a single payment reimbursement to the applicant upon completion of the project. Applicant must provide all necessary paid receipts/invoices in order to receive payment.

i) If at any time problems occur relating to the quality of work or work is not completed in accordance with the specifications outlined in the application and approval can not be granted, the contract can be terminated, and the City will have no further obligation to the owner.

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Sec. of Interior's Rehabilitation Standards

Grant recipients shall comply with the following standards when rehabilitating properties:

1. Every reasonable effort shall be made to provide a compatible use for a property which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure or site and its environment, or to use a property for its original intended purpose.
2. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features will disqualify any building from this program.
3. All building, structures, and site shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance may disqualify any building from this program.
4. Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected.
5. Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence.
6. The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will change or damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.
7. Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural or cultural materials, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment.
8. Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to structures shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structure would be unimpaired. New additions should be compatible to the present structure.

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