The City of Toledo, Department of Economic Development (DED) hereby announces the availability of $320,000 (Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) in funding for the Facade Improvement Grant (FIG) program to incentivize property owners to comprehensively enhance the facade of commercial, industrial and mixed-use buildings.
The FIG program is part of the City’s Vibrancy Initiative, which is designed to enhance the city’s vitality by supporting revitalization efforts that will create jobs, reduce blight, and preserve and improve structures in our community. The Vibrancy Initiative also includes the White Box Grant Program. A Notice of Funding Availability for the White Box Grant can be found here. Eligible applicants may apply for both programs.
The FIG program reimburses 50% of eligible expenses incurred during a comprehensive facade improvement. A facade is defined as the principal face(s) of a building that is on a public street. The minimum reimbursement is $10,000 and the maximum is $40,000.
The grant is subject to a two-year period of compliance and reporting. The grant is collateralized by a restrictive covenant that prevents the sale of the property without approval from the City of Toledo until December 31, 2025.
The FIG application is open from April 3, 2023, to May 3, 2023. Applications will be reviewed and scored by the City’s Incentive Advisory Committee (IAC), using the Evaluation Criteria contained in this notice. The IAC consists of eight independent citizens that provide oversight of the City’s incentive programs. Upon completion of review, the IAC will recommend the top-scoring applications to the Mayor for funding until all funds have been awarded. The Mayor shall have the sole and absolute discretion to award funds.