About the Program

The Main Street Façade Enhancement Grant (FEG) program is available to business and property owners located within the Main Street district.  The purpose of the grant is to support the economic and aesthetic environment of the Main Street district.  This is accomplished by providing financial incentives to encourage private investment in the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of downtown building facades.  This investment will contribute and enhance the unique character of downtown Belmont.

Eligibility

• Any owner or tenant of a commercial building located within the Main Street District as identified by the City of Belmont may apply (see attached map).
• Tenant applicants must submit owner’s written permission with application.

Definition

• A façade is defined as an individual storefront or commercial building side which faces a public right-of-way or is otherwise visible to the general public.
• For buildings with multiple public-facing facades (i.e. corner buildings), each façade is eligible for a grant. Applications must be filed separately, and each is treated independently.

Materials

The FEG is to encourage preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of any historic structures so materials shall be used that are the same or most comparable to existing materials.  Alternate materials should only be considered if the original materials are unavailable and after all other options for replacement or repair have been explored.  Paints used should be specifically formulated for the surface being restored.

Eligible Activities

• Funds may be used to support the rehabilitation of buildings.
• Funds must be used for exterior improvements that are permanent. (For example, funds may be used for windows, doors, architectural details, etc. but not used for signs.)
• Projects must spur private investment.
• Properties must be income producing, commercial properties.
• Rehabilitation of historic properties must be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, included in this packet.

 Eligible Project Examples:

• Masonry repair, mortar joint repair re-pointing of brick.
• Repainting and repair of façade walls, trim, and decorative features.
• Repair/replacement of windows and/or doors.
• Removal of siding, exterior false facades, and canopies.
• Safe cleaning of brick/stone fronts or wall surfaces.
• Restoration, repair, reconstruction, and/or replacement of original architectural details.
• Installation of awnings. (No lettering, signage, or objects are to be affixed, adhered, or mounted to awnings.)
• Structural and cornice repair and/or replacement.
• Railings, ironwork repair or addition.
• Historic reconstructions, rehabilitation, or compatible reconstruction of a store front.
• Mural creation, restoration, and other creative enhancements.

Grant Amounts:

The Main Street Façade Enhancement Grant (FEG) is a reimbursable, matching grant program.  To encourage widespread participation this program offers up to two-thousand five-hundred dollars ($2,500), with a dollar for dollar matching grant to each eligible applicant. The minimum grant amount is five hundred dollars ($500). Funds are provided by the City of Belmont, administered through the Belmont Main Street Program.

 Application Dates:

Grant applications are received and reviewed quarterly.  Complete applications forms with all attachments (including contractor and minimum two vendor quotes, photographs, drawings, and color samples) are due by the first business day of February, May, August, and November respectively.

Grant Awards and Grant Administration

• Project applications must be reviewed and pre-approved by the City Council prior to commencement of work.
• The application shall be submitted to the City of Belmont’s Community Development Director for review of completeness and eligibility. (Applications are not considered to be complete until all information and materials are submitted.)
• Completed applications will be reviewed by the Main Street Design Committee (MSDC) who will make a recommendation to the Main Street Advisory Board (MSAB).
• The MSAB will review the recommendation and will then provide their recommendation to the Belmont City Council.
• The Belmont City Council will review the MSAB’s recommendations and make the final decision to approve, disapprove, or to approve the project with conditions and will assign the grant fund amount to be reimbursed upon project completion. (The City Council reserves the right to accept or deny any application for any reason.)
• Applicants will receive a letter informing them of City Council’s decision in regards to their project application.
• A Façade Enhancement Grant Agreement between the City of Belmont and the applicant will be drafted for all approved projects. Agreements must be signed within thirty (30) days following Council approval.
• Work shall be completed in accordance to the terms specified by the Council and included in the contract. Deviations from approved plan may disqualify the applicant from this grant program.
• The Community Development Director and the MSAB will monitor the progress of the project.
• Changes in approved work specifications must be communicated and pre-approved by the MSAB. Failure to communicate changes in the scope of work previous to conducting work may result in rescinded grant approval.
• Upon project completion, applicant must submit proof-of-payment to the Community Development Director for reimbursement.
• The Design Committee and/or and Community Development Director will conduct a final inspection prior to release of grant payment to the applicant.
• Grants are subject to fair and impartial review of the merits of the project, completeness of the application, availability of grant funds, and other factors. Renovations shall comply with the Belmont zoning ordinance, State Building Code and U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (when applicable).  A local grantee shall agree to release, indemnify, and hold the City of Belmont harmless of any defects in workmanship, liability, damages, or any other costs relevant to the project. 

 Application Requirements:

• Completed, signed application.
• Certificate of Appropriateness (if applicable).
• Photos of existing façade and historic photos, if available.
• Detailed description of proposed façade improvements with detailed plans.
• Design plan (paint colors and awning swatches)
• Timeline for implementation of project.
• Itemized project cost estimate/ two estimates for all proposed work (labor and materials). All quotes must establish reasonable life expectancy of the work performed or products used pursuant to accepted industry standards.
• Letter from owner of building giving permission for project if applicant is a tenant.

Project Guidance:

• Rehabilitation of structures in the Main Street District should respect and reflect the architectural integrity of the entire building and retain those elements that enhance the building.
• Facades should be in harmony with the character of the Main Street District and in coordination with the shape, color, and design of adjacent facades.
• Use of colors that are compatible with other buildings and that are true to the style and age of the structure.
• This program is to aid substantial investment to improve the aesthetic qualities of a building as well as protect it for the future.
• Design Services are available through the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center in partnership with UNC Greensboro, to provide property owners/ businesses with a conceptual rendering for façade improvements. As a Main Street Community, these services are free of charge for commercial properties location within Belmont’s delineated Main Street District. Contact Cassidy Lackey, Community Development Director at clackey@cityofbelmont.org for more information.

Upkeep

It is required that reasonable upkeep shall be necessary.  This will include ordinary and necessary repairs, periodic painting or cleaning in order to adhere to the purpose of maintaining the façade of the premises. Both property owner and business owner shall agree to these specifications.

Reapplication

Reapplication will be considered through a review process that includes proposed scope of work and previously awarded grants for the property.  Consideration may include, but is not limited to, established life expectancy, property upkeep and current circumstances.

Annual Review

In order to have the FEG program be a success, the City of Belmont and the Main Street Advisory Board are entitled to review and alter the program on an annual basis.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are ten basic principles created to help preserve the distinctive character of a historic building and its site, while allowing for reasonable change to meet new needs.

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials.  Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.