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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Downtown Facade Grants RESOLUTION NO. 17-544 RESOLUTION APPROVING DOWNTOWN FACADE GRANTS FOR THE CITY OF AMES WHEREAS, the Downtown Fagade Grant Program was introduced in 2000 to facilitate private improvements to downtown retail and other commercial storefronts; and, WHEREAS, the City Council annually budgets $50,000 as matching grants for eligible projects; this program is available to property owners within the area generally described as from Oh Street to the railroad tracks and from Duff Avenue to Northwestern Avenue; and, WHEREAS, the program includes up to $15,000 of one-for-one matching fiords per facade and up to $1,000 for additional architectural services; and, WHEREAS, the program requires compliance with specified design guidelines,ground floor use of office or retail trade,improvements to retain the historic facade or the removal of non-compliant elements;and allows six months to complete the project after signing a grant agreement; and, WHEREAS, proposed improvements are intended to have a significant positive visual impact on the building and the district overall; and, WHEREAS, if grant requests exceed the available funding, the program criteria includes preferences for fagades that have not received previous funding, for front fagades, and for fagades along Main Street; and, WHEREAS,currently,there is$100,000 in available funds for award to new grantees;this does not include the $56,423 awarded to the Sheldon-Mum project in 2015 which has not yet been closed out; and, WHEREAS, the City solicits a first round of grants applications in the spring for award in the summer of each year; if there are remaining finds, the City solicits a second round of applications in the winter for a spring award of grants; and, WHEREAS, the City solicited applications for the 2017-18 fiscal year in May 2017; and, WHEREAS, an invitation for grant applications was sent to all eligible property and business owners and was also publicized by the Main Street Cultural District,and three property owners submitted four applications for consideration by the Council; and, WHEREAS, a grant application for the project at 238 Main Street is for the north(Main Street) facade; the building now houses Quilting Connections; and, WHEREAS, the building was originally built as a two-stony structure, but suffered a major fire in 1987 resulting in the removal of the upper floor; and, WHEREAS,there was significant damage to the facade and the reconstruction included a mix ofmaterials, including concrete panels, stucco, vertical wood panels, and the painting of remnants of the original brick; the proposed project removes much ofthe non-compliant materials and rebuilds the facade outto the frontlotline while maintaining a recessed entryway; and, WHEREAS, new store front windows will be installed and will be at the front building lime; the store entrance will be recessed as will the existing middle door (which had been used to provide access to the upper floor); the box above the canopy will be removed; the design guidelines indicate that the canopy is a compliant structure and a preferred feature to be retained(it will be re-clad but will retain its shape and location; and, new signage and lighting will be installed; and, WHEREAS, the total estimated project cost is$57,050,however,the estimate includes several items the City usually does not include in calculating cost share; and, WHEREAS, the construction costs total$39,550,and City staff recommends the maximum allocation of $15,000 in grant finding, of which the owner's share of construction costs is $24,550; and, WHEREAS, the owner is seeking the additional$1,000 for design fees to help with the design costs, therefore, the total recommended grant award is $16,000 for the Quilting Connection at 238 Main Street; and, WHEREAS, the owner of 208 East 5th Street(Lechner Building)received a grant in 2012 to restore the ground floor fagade, and is now seeking to continue the rehabilitation of the second and third floors; and, WHEREAS, the project will involve removing the existing storm windows,repairing and restoring of the existing historic wood windows, and installing newer energy-efficient storm windows; and, WHEREAS, three of the third floor windows (two on the front and one on the side)have been reduced in size,but these will be opened up and new windows installed. Mullions will be repaired and painted to match the kick plates installed as part of the 2012 grant; and, WHEREAS, the project costs are estimated to be $33,051 (minus contingency), of which staff recommends up to $15,000 or 50 percent of the actual costs; and, WHEREAS,as a condition ofthe grant,staffrecommends requiring the improvements ofthe non compliant transom window openings on the side elevation to assist in broadening the overall project significance; and, WHEREAS, the property at 329 Main Street is a corner lot and is the home of Evert's Flowers Home Gifts; and, WHEREAS, it was built as a two-story building in 1919,and the upper floor was removed in 1964; and, WHEREAS, the owner is seeking two fagade grants to replace the store front windows and install new doors, awnings, and signage; and, WHEREAS,the project will replace the large plate glass windows with multi-pane windows which include a 32-inch transom along the top;the doorway will remain at the current location but a new doorway with flanking windows will be installed; and, these windows will also have a 32-inch transom at the top; and, WHEREAS, the owner is also installing awnings over the windows extending down only as far as the transoms, which will remain visible from street level; the awnings are triangular in profile and will have a loose valance as preferred by the design standards; and, new signage and painting ofthe accent band above the awnings are included in the project; and, WHEREAS,the owner has submitted two grant requests—one for each facade,and the improvements for each facade are similar; and, WHEREAS, the south facade has an estimated cost of$21,129, and the owner is requesting up to 50 percent,or$10,580;the west facade (Burnett Avenue)has an estimated cost of$18,033, for which the owner is requesting up to 50 percent, or$9,017; and, WHEREAS,although the proposed project is extensive in scope,the purpose ofthe program is the removal of non-compliant features of a facade, and, in this case, the existing windows and doors are compliant and their replacements, therefore, are not covered by the program; and, WHEREAS, additionally, the visual significance of the improvements would be minimal because of the current conditions; and, WHEREAS, staff believes the only eligible activity in the grant request may be the installation of new awnings,the cost ofwhich is estimated at$5,315 for both fagades, which staff recommends a grant of 50 percent, or$2,657; and, WHEREAS, adding the awnings does not replace a non-compliant feature and has only a moderate level of visual impact, but it is adding a new compliant element ofthe design guidelines,and replacement of the windows is not a condition of receiving a grant for the awnings. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Downtown Fagade Improvement Grants totaling$3 3,65 8,are hereby approved as follows: 1)for 238 Main Street in the amount of$15,000 for the Main Street facade and with a$1,000 design assistance grant; 2) for 208 5th Street in the amount of$15,000 for the 5th Street facade window repair with improvements to the side transom window along with the front facade improvements; and, 3)for 329 Main Street in the amount of$2,658 for the awnings for the Main Street facade and the Burnett Avenue facade. ADOPTED THIS 22nd day of August, 2017. C��"�R' Awo U Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Arm H. Campbell, Mayor Introduced by: Betcher Seconded by: Corrieri Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin,Nelson, Orazem Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 22nd day of August, 2017.