By: Kyle Kramm, Main Street & CVB Director
To encourage downtown revitalization, the City of Seguin has created a strong incentive program overseen by the Seguin Main Street Program. With the start of the new fiscal year, the Seguin Main Street Program is releasing the application for its most popular incentive program – the FIX-IT Façade grant.
This grant program encourages property owners to invest in exterior improvements to their buildings. The grant will reimburse property owners and business owners of up to half the cost for painting, repairing wooden windows, removing slip covers, signage, rebuilding storefronts and more.
The City of Seguin has been investing and awarding these grants as far back as 1998. Since 2015, the grant program has awarded over $125,000 to 20 projects that has led to over $460,000 in investment in downtown. For every dollar of public money invested, $2.60 of private money is invested into downtown exterior improvements.
The FIX-IT Façade grant has been used recently for small projects like painting and repairing the stucco façade of 106 North Austin to the large project of removing the slipcover of 106-110 East Court Street that exposed the historic wooden windows and historic brick and tile. Several property owners have expressed an interest into applying for a variety of projects this fiscal year.
“Our FIX-IT Façade grant program has been the most popular incentive used by downtown businesses and property owners,” said Kyle Kramm, City of Seguin Main Street & CVB Director, “The grant can be used for any exterior improvements, but often times, the façade improvements are just a smaller portion of a complete building rehabilitation.”
After the façade project is completed, the entire community benefits from improved aesthetics, increased property values and growth in sales at downtown businesses by locals and tourists.
Interested parties in the façade grant program or other downtown incentives are encouraged to contact the Seguin Main Street Program at mainstreet@seguintexas.gov or (830) 401-5000. The FY2020 grant application can be found online at www.seguintexas.gov and the application is due Wednesday, November 13 by 5:00 p.m.
The photos show a historic facade, then the slipcover that was added to the facade, then workers removing the facade and then the finished product.
Comments