Downtown Improvement Grant Program

Overview

Tennessee Main Street Programs and communities that have participated in the Tennessee Downtowns program in Rounds 1-8 and have an active Design Committee are eligible for a grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) for downtown improvements. Grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded to organizations that can illustrate the need for improvements and the ability to execute an effective design plan for building facades, wayfinding signage, courtyard improvements, gateways, streetscapes, lighting and sound, and electric vehicle charging.

For additional information on the Downtown Improvement Grant program, see the application webinar.

Download Webinar

Eligibility

Eligible projects include:

Façade improvements - exterior improvements to for-profit or nonprofit commercial businesses including signage, painting (historic brick buildings which have not previously been painted should remain unpainted), awnings, lighting, windows, doors, entryways and other approved activities. At least 50% of the proposed project must be façade improvements. Grantees must follow local historic overlay design guidelines or the grant design guidelines. These design guidelines must be incorporated into the sub-grantee’s contracts.

Gateway improvements – Physical improvements including landscaping and signage at the gateway(s) to your downtown.

Streetscape improvements – Physical improvements such as planters, benches, lighting, sound system, landscaping that improve your streetscape and unify the district.

Courtyard improvements – Physical improvements to prominent courtyards in your downtown including seating, landscaping, lighting, and signage.

Wayfinding signage – Signage that is consistent with your community’s brand that directs tourists to places of interest in your town.

It is expected that all applications will include façade improvements and can include any or all of the other activities. The Downtown Improvement Grant is reimbursable and all expenditures must take place within the timeframe of the grant period as designated by the grant contract. The grant period begins when a contract is signed and returned to TNECD which is expected to be in January 2025.

Applications are due August 29, 2024. Grantees are required to hire a professional grant administrator and may use up to five (5) percent of the funding for the administrator. Grantees may allow five (5) percent of grant for design services. Additionally, the grant requires 25% matching funds. All expenditures must be requested by reimbursement requests on official forms provided by TNECD. All applicants must illustrate the ability to manage this program.

Important Dates

July 22, 2024 - Application Process Opens

July 25, 2024 - Application Webinar (Will be recorded)

August 29, 2024 - Applications Due

October 1, 2024 - Grant Recipients Announced

January 2025 - Contracts Issued

Downtown Improvement Program Application Process

Required Files: Budget - Use the "Professional fee, grant and award" line to estimate labor, design and administrative costs. Use the "Supplies" line to estimate the cost of building supplies and items to be purchased.

Complete Application: An application should be prepared that completes the documents in this package and includes photos documenting the need for the project. “Soft” commitments from property owners should also be included. These can be letters of support, intention to apply statements, etc.; check with TNECD for additional options.

Procurement: All contractors must be competitively procured according to state or local procurement standards, whichever is more restrictive. Minority and female contractors should be invited to bid. Bids must be opened publicly by the review committee, and minutes must be kept of the meeting. Bids should be awarded to the lowest, most responsive bidder. If a community elects not to use the lowest bidder, justification must be made to and approved by TNECD.

Downtown Improvement Grant Admin Webinar Recording (2023)

Download 2024 Admin Webinar

Downtown Improvement

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

Project Need (20 points): Documentation of the need for the project and how it fits into a plan for downtown development. Photos are important to show project need and points in the section are awarded based on the photos and the description of need (20 points available). Photos should be of of buildings, streetscapes, courtyards or gateways that will be part of the program as well as photos of the entire area. Photos should be keyed to a project area map and labeled.

Address how this program will meet the design plan or design guidelines for your community, foster the design aspect of the downtown development plan, and what architectural impact the project will have on your downtown community.

Project Impact (25 points): How will this project benefit the downtown, the community, the Tennessee Main Street or Tennessee Downtowns program, individual businesses, etc.? Will additional funds be leveraged to increase the impact of the program? Will it create jobs, recruit or expand businesses?

Project Plan (15 points): Describe the plan for the project including how subgrantees will be selected, how the subgrantees will be managed, how the grantee will ensure all regulations and rules are followed, etc.

Project Feasibility (10 points): Evidence that the project can begin quickly and be completed within eighteen months of contract approval and that those managing the program are qualified.

Community Support (7 points): Evidence in the application that the community is supportive of the project through leveraging of additional funds, letters of support, etc. Send a maximum of five letters from the local community and local elected officials. Letters from state representatives and state senators are not necessary.

Soft Support Letters from property owners (3 points) Evidence that project area property owners were given information on the grant opportunity and letters to show their interest in applying as a sub-grantee if the community is awarded the grant.

Design Plan or Local Historic Zoning Overlay (5 points): Communities with a completed design plan (must be uploaded with application) or a local history overlay for the project area (must upload ordinance from local government)

Economic Ranking (15 points): Points will be distributed as follows: Tier 4 – 15, Tier 3 – 10, Tier 2 – 5, Tier 1 – 0

Tennessee Main Street communities will receive five (5) additional points on their application.

Award and Announcement

Downtown Improvement Grant Applications will be reviewed by the staff of the Rural Development division and TNECD’s Grant Committee. All contracts will be sent directly to grantee for signature and returned to TNECD for final signatures and approvals. Contracts must be signed by all parties before work can be performed.

Communities participating in this grant program will be required to submit proper documentation of all grant expenditures. Failure to follow specified uses or accounting requirements may result in loss of program participation. All grantees will be required to attend training.

Contact Information

312 Rosa L. Parks Ave., 27th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Phone: 615--339-1506
Kim.Parks@tn.gov

Downtown Improvement Grant Design Guidelines

Over time historic commercial buildings were altered or remodeled to reflect current fashions or to eliminate perceived maintenance problems. Often these improvements were misguided and resulted in a disjointed and unappealing appearance in a historic downtown area. By following these design guidelines or your local government’s historic overlay, your Downtown Improvement Project will preserve the historic nature of the building and the streetscape as well.

To start a façade project, check with your local government to confirm if there is a local historic overlay in the project area. If there is one, follow their guidelines and instructions to receive a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA).

If there is no local historic overlay, follow these guidelines for the Downtown Improvement Grant project.

1. Find historic photos to help determine the design of the original building or early changes.

2. Some small-scale exploratory demolition may be necessary to determine what remains of materials and its condition.

3. If possible, remove any inappropriate materials, signs, or canopies covering the facade.

4. Retain all elements, materials, and features that are original to the building, or are appropriate remodels, and repair-not replace- as necessary.

5. Restore as many original elements as possible, particularly the materials, windows, decorative details, and cornice.

6. When adding new elements, conform to the configuration and materials of a traditional storefront design. (See Example in attachment A)

7. Reconstruct missing original elements (such as cornices, windows, and storefronts) if documentation is available, or design new elements that respect the character, materials, and design of the building.

8. Avoid using materials that are incompatible with the building or district, including aluminum-frame windows and doors, aluminum panels or storefront display framing, enameled panels, roughhewn textured wood siding, unpainted wood, vinyl or aluminum siding, and wood shingles. False historical appearances such as “Colonial,” “Olde English,” or other theme designs should not be used.

9. Avoid using inappropriate elements such as tint on windows, or replacement windows with tint, mansard roofs, solid metal awnings, coach lanterns, small-paned windows, plastic shutters, inoperable shutters, or shutters on windows where they never previously existed.

10. Do not paint previously unpainted masonry (brick & stone). Painted wooden elements should complement the historic building materials. See link to National Parks service brief on brick repair in Attachment B

11. Color. Because color is usually reversible, property owners may choose their building colors.

INAPPROPRIATE ALTERATIONS

COMMON INAPPROPRIATE ALTERATIONS INCLUDE:

Concealing historic materials. This is a common mistake that negatively alters the overall character of the building and can be damaging as well. If structural issues are not addressed, but just covered, they can lead to bigger problems that could jeopardize the entire building and become a safety/codes issue.

Replacing historic materials unnecessarily. The rule for historic building elements is to repair rather than replace them whenever possible. Repairing the original element usually costs less and results in a longer lasting and higher quality product:

Upper-floor windows are a good example. Most historic windows were made of wood, which is relatively easy and straightforward to repair, even when drastically deteriorated. Wood frames have a much better insulating value than vinyl or metal— when air leakage occurs, it is usually the caulking and glazing that need repair, not the window itself. And for upper-story windows, one of the best ways to improve the insulating value is to install either interior or exterior storm windows. Often, these steps will give the original window an equal or greater insulating value than any new window. See National Parks Brief in Attachment B

Incompatible replacement elements. When historic building elements like windows, siding, masonry, trim, cornices, etc., are replaced, the new elements should be compatible to the original in size, profile, material, or quality. When historic elements are deteriorated beyond repair, the replacement should duplicate the original in all aspects.

Cleaning of historic materials. As a general rule, all elements should be cleaned using the gentlest means possible. This means no sandblasting or high-pressure water blasting, which damage historic building elements. For proper cleaning techniques, refer to the National Park Service’s Technical Preservation Brief #1 and #6- Attachment B