Vibrant Places: Eligibility & Eligible Projects

Eligibility

• You’re a property owner or tenant with frontage on the street within City limits. (Improvements should be visible from the street, except for solar panels or green roof installations. A business does not need frontage on the street in order to apply for and to be eligible for the solar grant.)
• Business use must be present on the property or be established within six months of the final grant payment.
• Property taxes must be current.
• Property must not be listed for sale.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

• Projects may be comprised of one eligible item or any combination of eligible items.
• This program is not intended to fund deferred maintenance.

Standard Grant

The following types of improvements are eligible for 50% matching grant funds on commercial and mixed-use buildings:

• Restoration of facade to original or comparable appearance
• Restoration of architectural features
• Green roof (extra materials required specifically for a green roof, excluding standard roof materials)
• Brick or masonry, including cleaning and tuckpointing
• Painting or other appropriate facade treatments of exterior surfaces
• Double-paned windows using clear glass
• New exterior doors
• Awnings and canopies (fabric or metal)
• Signs (building or monument)
• Murals and public art
• Decorative LED lighting (dark sky compliant) that highlights the front of the building
• Landscaping
• Decorative fencing (wrought iron or decorative aluminum with 4-foot maximum height)
• Curb and sidewalk improvements
• Bike racks and outdoor tables, chairs, benches, and areas for commercial purposes
• Outdoor sound systems
• Open storefronts and active rooftops that encourage interaction between the street and business
• Enhancements that activate the sidewalk such as outdoor dining areas, merchandise displays, or planters
• Barriers or railings that have permanence
• Architectural lighting which enhances the building’s facade, enhances the pedestrian environment, lights window display areas, and/or highlights architectural details

sustainability GRANT

Projects that meet the criteria for advanced sustainability benefits are eligible for additional funding above and beyond the base funding of 50%.

When the sustainability bonus is added to an eligible standard item, the grant share for that item can increase to 70%.

• Energy Star-rated windows
• New energy efficient doors
• Pervious surface, permeable pavers
• Thirty (30) percent recycled-content material
• Xeriscaping (drought tolerant landscaping)
• Rain garden
• No-VOC Paint

SUNpowered (SOLAR) grant

• Any size or type of Solar PV installation (roof mounted, roof ballasted, ground mounted, canopy mounted, solar awnings)
• Installation may be battery-based (off-grid), grid-tied, or interconnected to the grid with a battery

NOT Eligible Projects

• Interior improvements or improvements to single-use residential buildings
• Improvements not visible from the street, except for solar panel or green roof installation
• Regular and deferred maintenance items
• Removal or enclosure of architecturally important features
• Roof replacement or repairs, except when serving as an architectural element
• HVAC systems
• Freestanding signs, except monument signs
• Parking lot paving
• Chain link and other non-decorative fencing
• Security systems, window or door bars, security gates, and driveway gates
• Demolition of structures
• Environmental consulting, hazardous material testing services, or abatement costs
• Improvements in progress or completed prior to grant approval

project Examples