Building Owners in Tecumseh Downtown Revitalization Area Can Begin to Apply for Facade Improvement Grants

The owners of commercial buildings along the Downtown Improvement Project area who would like to make improvements to their building facades can now pick up a pre-application form from the city and provide details of the projects they envision to be considered for a 75/25 matching grant for facade improvements. This grant is limited to improvements to the exterior of the buildings, which include projects involving masonry, windows, doors, awnings, signs, and design features that are visible to the public.
Improvements to roofs and/or gutters are not included, however, if these improvements are due to a City Code violation, these projects can be considered. The city also has a 60/40 matching grant that could be used to help fund roofing projects if needed. Contact City Economic Developer Doug Goracke for more information.
Owners need to fill out the pre-application form, which asks for a description and details of the improvements they want to make and estimated costs of the project. Upon receipt, the pre-applications will be reviewed and if the project is deemed appropriate, the owner will be given the full application to fill out, which will require a much more detailed plan for the project.
The grant is a 5-year forgivable loan, with a 25% minimum match and a maximum request for $50,000. The program is funded for up to $400,000, with $25,000 for administration and $10,000 for construction management.
Two bids from outside sources, or a certificate saying that the owner did due diligence to find two bids, will be required along with pictures of the current condition of the facade and drawn-up plans for the improvements. The improvement projects may not begin until the building owner has received a notice to proceed from the city. All invoices must be submitted at the completion of the project to be considered for reimbursement and the building must continue to be occupied by a business for five years after completion.
The State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) were established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 with a goal of preserving the historical and cultural foundations of the nation as a part of community life. This is the most comprehensive preservation legislation passed by the United States. Since the goal is to preserve historical foundations of the nation, buildings must meet historical requirements; but since Downtown Tecumseh is already on the Register of Historic Places, the buildings already qualify for that.
Businesses that want to apply for a grant to improve the facade of their building need to fill out a pre-application and, if they qualify for the program, a full application will need to be filled out with a more detailed description of the project. Once the pre-application has been submitted, these are the steps that follow, according to a communication from SENDD:
1. Initial review by Architectural Review Board (ARB) for local eligibility 
2. Review by SENDD for CDBG program eligibility
3. Applicants with eligible projects will be asked to complete the full application. Full applications will require written cost estimates to be included. 
4. Once received by the City, full applications will be forwarded to SENDD for environmental review completion - this is where SHPO gets involved so there may be some back and forth with applicants regarding design choices. SHPO conditions will be reviewed by the ARB to ensure program compatibility. 
5. SENDD staff will forward the completed Tier II environmental review to Janelle Moran, city clerk. 
6. Applications complete with environmental reviews will then be forwarded to City Council for final awards, which will be listed in meeting minutes and the meeting minutes forwarded to SENDD for compliance. 
7. All applicants (and SENDD) will receive written correspondence regarding the award decision for their project.  
8. Awarded projects will move on to completing pre-construction requirements: 
SAM.gov (anyone seriously interested should be advised to start this process as soon as possible, they do not need to wait unitl their project is awarded)
Signed contract with contractor with a start date TBD 
Pre-construction conference with each contractor once signed contracts are received by program participants
9. Once the pre-construction requirements have been completed, SENDD will inform the City that the participant is cleared to receive Notice to Proceed. 
10. The City will prepare the Notice to Proceed (NTP), which will include a tentative schedule for the allowance of street-facing work based on the timeline of the other downtown revitalization project. 
11. Construction will be scheduled by the program participant, adhering to the schedule allowances indicated in the NTP. Program participant or contractor must provide the start date to SENDD. 
12. SENDD will complete labor standards activities while construction is ongoing.
13. Upon completion of the project, all construction invoices must be paid in full by the program participant. Once they have, they can provide the city with a copy of the invoices as well as bank statements and canceled checks to prove payment has been completed and request reimbursement. 
14. Upon receipt of the reimbursement request documentation from the participant, the reimbursement of their 75% (up to the initially awarded amount) must be added to the agenda for approval by council. 
15. Once SENDD staff receives the meeting minutes showing approval for the project's reimbursement and the participant's documentation, SENDD staff will prepare and submit the payment request to pay the City.
16. Once the City's payment from the grant has been received, they will reimburse the program participant. 
“This grant is for people to have an avenue of funding. It’s worth looking at. Some of these buildings are in sad shape,” said Goracke. “You don’t have to do it all at once, but do something every year.”