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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Approving Downtown Facade Grant Program Updates related to Other/Rear Facade and Maintenance Activities for Historic BuildingsRESOLUTION NO. 25-036 RESOLUTION APPROVING DOWNTOWN FAÇADE GRANT PROGRAM UPDATES RELATED TO OTHER/REAR FAÇADE AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS FOR THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA WHEREAS, on September 10, 2024, the City Council directed staff to prepare updated program documentation for the Downtown Façade Grant Program to reflect newly approved program eligibility pertaining to contributing historic buildings; and, WHEREAS, staff was directed to: 1) modify existing facade improvement eligibility grants to include all facades of an historic building along a public right-of-way, including City parking lots, and 2) create a new maintenance grant for historic buildings, specifically for roofs, ext erior walls, and foundations; and, WHEREAS, eligible properties for these new grant categories are only those that are contributing resources to the Downtown Ames National Register Historic District. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Downtown Façade Grant Program Updates related to Other/Rear Façade and Maintenance Activities for Historic Buildings is hereby approved as proposed by staff. ADOPTED THIS 28th day of January, 2025. _________________________________ ___________________________________ Renee Hall, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor Introduced by: Betcher Seconded by: Beatty-Hansen Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Gartin, Junck, Rollins Voting nay: None Absent: Corrieri Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 28th day of January, 2025. Downtown Façade Grant Eligibility & Terms 1. Eligibility Requirements • Eligible participants include the owners and/or tenants of buildings located inside the boundaries of the project area for the Downtown Design Guidelines, which contain Office Uses or Trade Uses as defined by the Ames Zoning Ordinance. • Ineligible participants include the owners and/or tenants of residential structures and buildings owned by the government, churches and other religious institutions, to the extent prohibited by State and Federal guidelines. • Concurrence of the property owner is required, in writing, before improvements proposed by the tenant can be considered for approval. • Improvements must be made to one or more of the façades of a building and the design of such improvements must comply with the current Downtown Design Guidelines. • For Historic Façades, grant money will be provided for replacing existing compliant elements only when the proposed project also includes replacing non-compliant elements with compliant elements. This is distinguished from Rehabilitation Grants. • For other existing buildings whose design is not consistent with the Historic Façades as described in the Downtown Design Guidelines, grant money may be provided for additions or alterations that comply with the section “Other Buildings” in the current Downtown Design Guidelines. • Grants may be offered if all non-compliant elements of the entire façade or of all façades intended to be improved are not to be improved under one grant project. However, the improvements must contribute to a project that, when complete, will be generally consistent with all design standards. To determine this, an application must include elevation plans for all façades intended to be improved showing how they are intended to look when complete. • For all projects for which all improvements will not be completed under the grant, the scope of proposed improvements for the grant shall be visually significant in the context of how the whole building is intended to look when all improvements to the façade are complete. The City may approve a grant based upon a proposed improvement’s contribution to the finished product, and may deny a grant for improvements that, while compliant in part, are not visually significant in terms of how the overall building is intended to ultimately look when all improvements to the façade are complete. • If a project is phased, a grant shall be offered only to those improvements that are done in correct sequence of construction. For example, a finished project may require installing or changing windows, in some cases siding is installed after windows are in place. In such cases the windows would need to be replaced before grant monies may be expended on siding materials. 2 2. Terms of the Grant Agreement • Accounts and Records. The grant recipient shall maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence pertaining to all costs and expenses incurred and revenues acquired under the grant to the extent and in such detail as will properly reflect all costs, direct and indirect, of labor, materials, equipment, supplies, services, and other costs and expenses of whatever nature for which payment is made with the proceeds of the grant. The grant recipient will retain these records for three years from the date City makes payment of the grant. • Administrative Costs. No grant proceeds shall be used for administrative expenses. • Amendments. These Program guidelines, terms and conditions may be amended from time to time by the Façade Program Coordinator for reasons of operational efficiency or unforeseen circumstances that may arise or conflict with applicable City or State regulations affecting the administration of the Program. • Amount of the Grant. The maximum amount of the grant will be $23,000. (Exceptions may be approved by the City Council on a case-by-case basis.) • Complaint/Dispute Resolution Process. Any dispute arising between the grant recipient, property owner(s), consultant(s), or contractor(s) regarding the grant application, its terms and execution of work under the grant will be resolved through the Façade Grant committee and the Façade Program Coordinator. The decision of the Façade Grant committee will be final and binding on all parties. • Cost Sufficiency. The City does not make any warranty, either expressed or implied, that the proceeds of the grant available for payment of the costs of the project will be sufficient to pay any specific portion of the costs that will be incurred in that connection. The City is under no obligation to advance funds in addition to those specified in the grant approval by City Council. • Disbursement of Grant. Grant funds shall be disbursed to the grant recipient only upon the satisfactory completion of the project in accordance with a design for the project that has been approved by the City. The amount of the payment to the grant recipient will be one-half of the total cost of the work approved for the grant as documented by the bills submitted by the grant recipient, but shall not exceed the total grant amount approved by the City Council. • Fees of a Design Professional. When included in the grant application, the City shall make a grant of up to $2,000 to reimburse the grant recipient for the documented fees of a design professional other than the grant recipient or family member of the grant recipient. The applicant may also be eligible for Main Street Iowa Design Assistance. Contact the Main Street Cultural District for further information. 3 • Inclusions and Omission. The requirements and regulations for Program administration outlined in the grant design guidelines, terms and conditions are designed to supplement and amplify the provisions as set forth in the applicable zoning and building code regulations administered by the City of Ames. These regulations, utilized together with the grant guidelines, terms and conditions, provide the basis for Program administration. The lack of any item to be included in these guidelines, terms and conditions shall not relieve or release the grant recipient(s), property owner(s), consultant(s), contractor(s) or City from the responsibilities under the provisions outlined in the applicable zoning and building codes and Program guidelines, terms and conditions. • Matching Funds. The grant recipient’s expenditures for the project from sources other than the proceeds of the grant shall equal the amount of the grant proceeds. • Notice to Proceed. After the City has approved all design elements, all required permits and received the W-9 form, the City will issue a Notice to Proceed. No work funded by the grant shall proceed until on or after the date of the Notice to Proceed. No reimbursement from grant funds will be made for work carried out before the date of the Notice to Proceed. • Permits. All pertinent permits must be obtained and all work must comply with City, State, and Federal regulations. • Report of the City Building Official. The City Building Official shall determine if the work conforms to all applicable codes and regulations, and that any and all pre-existing code defects in the building façade have been corrected to conform to all appropriate codes. • Request for Payment. The grant recipient shall submit to the City on a form provided by the City a listing of all bills for the materials and work completed and a statement that all work under the approved grant has been completed and that the listing is complete. The grant recipient shall also submit evidence as may be reasonably required to substantiate all payments that are requested, such as lien waivers or conditional lien waivers. • Statement of Work and Services. The grant recipient will perform the work in a satisfactory and proper manner, as determined by the City conforming to the approved application, project budget, and project schedule. • Tax Payer Identification Number. After City Council awards grants, all grant recipients are required to provide to the City a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. The City will only issue a Notice to Proceed after it receives the W-9 Form. • Time of Project Completion and Fund Request. The work approved for the grant shall be completed within twelve months of the date of the “Notice to Proceed.” The grant recipient shall request grant funds only after the project has been completed in accordance with the approved application. • Use of Grant Funds. The grant funds shall not be spent on any other purpose(s) than the activities approved in the application. • Failure by the grantee to comply with the terms of eligibility may result in forfeiture of award. 4 Downtown Façade Grant Review There are two façade grants: 1. Modifications to bring façades into compliance with the Downtown Design Guidelines. 2. Rehabilitation of historically significant, character-defining features. Requirements for Downtown Design Guidelines Façade Grants ▪ The building must be located downtown within boundaries established by City Council. ▪ The ground floor must be Office Uses or Trade Uses as defined by the Ames zoning ordinance. ▪ The façade design must comply with the Downtown Design Guidelines. ▪ Improvements to historic façades shall include replacing non-compliant elements with compliant elements. Maintenance is not eligible for grant funding (see Downtown Building Maintenance Grant for possible maintenance eligibility). ▪ Residential structures and buildings owned by the government, churches, and other religious institutions are not eligible. ▪ No façade grant shall exceed $23,000. ▪ The Ames Planning Division shall administer the Grant Program and prepare eligibility requirements, terms, and application forms as necessary for effective implementation. Downtown Design Guidelines Program Logistics The following process for review of applications for façade grants provides time to inform all potential applicants of the opportunity, to work with applicants, applicants to prepare submittals and for staff to review applications and report to City Council. Two grant periods will be planned for each fiscal year. First Grant Period For this first grant period, preference for grant awards will be given to: - façades that have not received any previous grant funding - front façades Action Steps: ▪ Staff will inform all property and business owners of grant availability, process, and deadlines. ▪ Staff will work with applicants to define the project, ensure that it meets the guidelines, and assure that it is feasible and can be completed within the time frame. ▪ Applications will be accepted in the summer, as early as June. ▪ Staff will review and score applications and report to City Council in July or August for awarding grants. ▪ Projects may then start in the fall and be potentially completed before the holiday shopping season or completed the following year. Second Grant Period If the entire budget is not committed in the first grant period in each year (fall), a second grant period will begin in the spring. While façades on Main Street and façades for which no previous grants have been awarded will still receive first preference in this second grant period, all downtown grant requests will be considered and potentially approved if funds remain after all first- preference proposals are awarded. Grants for façades that do not face a street are eligible in the second grant period. There are no separate design guidelines for these ‘other’ façades. Grant awards will be prioritized for 5 those façades that are visible from public streets and the municipal parking lot north of the railroad tracks. Due to the lack of defined guidelines, each proposal will be evaluated on case-by-case basis for its visual significance and general improvement of its historic character. A final determination will be made by City Council for consistency with the intent of the program. Requirements for Rehabilitation of Historically Significant, Character-Defining Features ▪ The work must retain and restore the architectural feature related to the building’s historic significance. Examples include original windows, transoms, decorative cornices. Maintenance activities of a building are not eligible. ▪ The architectural features must relate to the front façade. ▪ The building must be a contributing structure to the National Register Ames Main Street Historic District or otherwise an individually listed Historic Resource on the National Register. Rehabilitation Program Logistics Two grant periods will be planned for each fiscal year. First Grant Period The Rehabilitation Grant may only be applied for in conjunction with work eligible for the standard grant. A property may be awarded a total of $46,000 for one façade ($23,000 for compliance with Downtown Design Guidelines and $23,000 for rehabilitation of historically significant, character- defining features). Only one Rehabilitation Grant may be approved for a property in this round. Action Steps: ▪ Staff will inform all property and business owners of grant availability, process, and deadlines. ▪ Staff will work with applicants to define the project, ensure that it meets the guidelines, and assure that it is feasible and can be completed within the time frame. ▪ Applications will be accepted in the summer, as early as June. ▪ Staff will review and score applications and report to City Council in late summer for awarding grants. ▪ Projects may then start in the fall and be potentially completed before the holiday shopping season or completed the following year. Second Grant Period A Rehabilitation Grant applies to historically significant, character-defining features by themselves, and need not be in conjunction with other work. Grants can be awarded independently for significant features, for a maximum of $23,000. Conditions of Grant Approval ▪ Grantees must receive a notice to proceed from the City prior to starting work. ▪ Grantees must apply for a notice to proceed within 9 months of the approval of the grant. ▪ Construction must be completed within 1 year of issuance of the notice to proceed. ▪ Any required building code and/or safety improvements to a structure must be completed before grant work proceeds or before grant funds are paid. ▪ If a grantee does not move forward with a project consistent with the Program’s Eligibility and Terms, including the program logistics, the award will be considered forfeited. 6 The table below outlines when funds are available for the various grant categories. The program is funded at the beginning of the fiscal year (beginning in July). The funding emphasis of the Downtown Façade Grant Program is therefore placed on the traditional grants. Grant Type Fall Spring Traditional Y Y Rehabilitation* Y (with Traditional) Y (Standalone) Other Facades* N Y Maintenance* N Y * Applies only to buildings that are contributing resources to the Ames Main Stret National Register Historic District. Downtown Building Maintenance Grant Eligibility & Terms 1. Eligibility Requirements • Eligible participants include the owners and/or tenants of buildings located inside the boundaries of the Downtown Ames National Register Historic District. Only those buildings that are contributing resources to the Historic District may receive grant funding. Buildings must contain Office Uses or Trade Uses as defined by the Ames Zoning Ordinance. • Ineligible participants include the owners and/or tenants of residential structures and buildings owned by the government, churches and other religious institutions, to the extent prohibited by State and Federal guidelines. • Concurrence of the property owner is required, in writing, before improvements proposed by the tenant can be considered for approval. • The following are eligible activities for Maintenance Grant funding: exterior walls, foundations, roofs. The purpose of the grant is to provide assistance with maintaining historic buildings. Other changes or maintenance (such as to windows or plumbing) may be done at the sole expense of the building owner/tenant. • The applicant must obtain a written inspection from an Iowa-certified architect or engineer attesting to the need for the project. Grant money will be provided for needed building maintenance and not for cosmetic changes. • For exterior walls, eligible activity includes repointing of mortar, repair to clay brick, stabilization of masonry, and repair to architectural features such as cornices, lintels, sills, and other decorative features that contribute to the building as a historic resource. • For foundations, eligible activity includes stabilization of masonry, which could include repair to masonry bricks and mortar or bracing of masonry wall with steel or other supports. This work could take place along the exterior portion of the foundation or in a basement. • For roofs, eligible activity includes replacing and repairing the exterior of the roof, ensuring that the roof is watertight. Ineligible activity includes only repairs to interior components of a roof: rafters, trusses, or joists. • If a project is phased, a grant shall be offered only to those improvements that are done in correct sequence of construction. For example, a finished project may require installing or changing windows, in some cases siding is installed after windows are in place. In such cases the windows would need to be replaced before grant monies may be expended on siding materials. 2 2. Terms of the Grant Agreement • Accounts and Records. The grant recipient shall maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence pertaining to all costs and expenses incurred and revenues acquired under the grant to the extent and in such detail as will properly reflect all costs, direct and indirect, of labor, materials, equipment, supplies, services, and other costs and expenses of whatever nature for which payment is made with the proceeds of the grant. The grant recipient will retain these records for three years from the date City makes payment of the grant. • Administrative Costs. No grant proceeds shall be used for administrative expenses. • Amendments. These Program guidelines, terms and conditions may be amended from time to time by the Façade Program Coordinator for reasons of operational efficiency or unforeseen circumstances that may arise or conflict with applicable City or State regulations affecting the administration of the Program. • Amount of the Grant. The maximum amount of the grant will be $23,000. (Exceptions may be approved by the City Council on a case-by-case basis.) • Complaint/Dispute Resolution Process. Any dispute arising between the grant recipient, property owner(s), consultant(s), or contractor(s) regarding the grant application, its terms and execution of work under the grant will be resolved through the Façade Grant committee and the Façade Program Coordinator. The decision of the Façade Grant committee will be final and binding on all parties. • Cost Sufficiency. The City does not make any warranty, either expressed or implied, that the proceeds of the grant available for payment of the costs of the project will be sufficient to pay any specific portion of the costs that will be incurred in that connection. The City is under no obligation to advance funds in addition to those specified in the grant approval by City Council. • Disbursement of Grant. Grant funds shall be disbursed to the grant recipient only upon the satisfactory completion of the project in accordance with a design for the project that has been approved by the City. The amount of the payment to the grant recipient will be one-half of the total cost of the work approved for the grant as documented by the bills submitted by the grant recipient, but shall not exceed the total grant amount approved by the City Council. • Fees of an Engineering or Architectural Professional. When included in the grant application, the City shall make a grant of up to $2,000 to reimburse the grant recipient for the documented fees of an engineering or architectural professional other than the grant recipient or family member of the grant recipient. The applicant may also be eligible for Main Street Iowa Design Assistance. Contact the Main Street Cultural District for further information. 3 • Inclusions and Omission. The requirements and regulations for Program administration outlined in the grant design guidelines, terms and conditions are designed to supplement and amplify the provisions as set forth in the applicable zoning and building code regulations administered by the City of Ames. These regulations, utilized together with the grant guidelines, terms and conditions, provide the basis for Program administration. The lack of any item to be included in these guidelines, terms and conditions shall not relieve or release the grant recipient(s), property owner(s), consultant(s), contractor(s) or City from the responsibilities under the provisions outlined in the applicable zoning and building codes and Program guidelines, terms and conditions. • Matching Funds. The grant recipient’s expenditures for the project from sources other than the proceeds of the grant shall equal the amount of the grant proceeds. • Notice to Proceed. After the City has approved all design elements, all required permits and received the W-9 form, the City will issue a Notice to Proceed. No work funded by the grant shall proceed until on or after the date of the Notice to Proceed. No reimbursement from grant funds will be made for work carried out before the date of the Notice to Proceed. • Permits. All pertinent permits must be obtained and all work must comply with City, State, and Federal regulations. • Report of the City Building Official. The City Building Official shall determine if the work conforms to all applicable codes and regulations, and that any and all pre-existing code defects in the building façade have been corrected to conform to all appropriate codes. • Request for Payment. The grant recipient shall submit to the City on a form provided by the City a listing of all bills for the materials and work completed and a statement that all work under the approved grant has been completed and that the listing is complete. The grant recipient shall also submit evidence as may be reasonably required to substantiate all payments that are requested, such as lien waivers or conditional lien waivers. • Statement of Work and Services. The grant recipient will perform the work in a satisfactory and proper manner, as determined by the City conforming to the approved application, project budget, and project schedule. • Tax Payer Identification Number. After City Council awards grants, all grant recipients are required to provide to the City a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. The City will only issue a Notice to Proceed after it receives the W-9 Form. • Time of Project Completion and Fund Request. The work approved for the grant shall be completed within twelve months of the date of the “Notice to Proceed.” The grant recipient shall request grant funds only after the project has been completed in accordance with the approved application. • Use of Grant Funds. The grant funds shall not be spent on any other purpose(s) than the activities approved in the application. • Failure by the grantee to comply with the terms of eligibility may result in forfeiture of award. 4 Downtown Building Maintenance Grant Review Requirements for Downtown Building Maintenance Grants Only those buildings that are contributing resources to the Ames Main Street National Register Historic District are eligible for a Maintenance Grant. The following maintenance work is eligible for grant funding: ▪ Repair of exterior walls – external repair only. This includes the repointing of brick walls and structural repair. ▪ Foundation repairs. ▪ Roof repair/replacement – external repair only. The following work is ineligible for grant funding: ▪ Internal building activates (including plumping, electrical and HVAC systems), ▪ External work for signage, ▪ Paint, ▪ Window replacement, ▪ Lighting, external stairways, or ▪ Façade redesigns are not otherwise eligible as an improvement grant project An application requirement for a maintenance grant requires an assessment of the structural conditions of the building to ensure that an adequate scope of work is proposed to ensure the work has lasting value supporting the integrity of the building. This grant is only eligible for the second grant period in the spring. Conditions of Grant Approval ▪ Grantees must receive a notice to proceed from the City prior to starting work. ▪ Grantees must apply for a notice to proceed within 9 months of the approval of the grant. ▪ Construction must be completed within 1 year of issuance of the notice to proceed. ▪ Any required building code and/or safety improvements to a structure must be completed before grant work proceeds or before grant funds are paid. ▪ If a grantee does not move forward with a project consistent with the Program’s Eligibility and Terms, including the program logistics, the award will be considered forfeited. The table below outlines when funds are available for the various grant categories. The program is funded at the beginning of the fiscal year (beginning in July). The funding emphasis of the Downtown Façade Grant Program is therefore placed on the traditional grants. Grant Type Fall Spring Traditional Y Y Rehabilitation* Y (with Traditional) Y (Standalone) Other Facades* N Y Maintenance* N Y * Applies only to buildings that are contributing resources to the Ames Main Stret National Register Historic District.