Rchester Dwntwn Façade Imprvement Grants Prgram Presented by the Rchester Dwntwn Alliance and the City f Rchester, MN If yu have any questins please cntact Jn Eckhff at 507-424-5677 r Eckhff@rdwntwnalliance.cm
Rchester Dwntwn Alliance Façade Imprvement Prgram $100,000 is available annually (upn City Cuncil apprval) fr the façade imprvement grant prgram. Business and prperty wners may apply t the prgram per prperty per year; except that fr a building with multiple tenants at the street level, up t tw businesses may apply. The RDA Executive Directr is respnsible fr tracking the ttal amunt bligated per year, nt t exceed $100,000 per year The RDA Executive Directr is respnsible fr dcumentatin f final grant amunt apprved, btaining receipts and prf f payment, and submitting payment request t the City RDA Executive Directr wrks with prperty/business wner t set deadline dates fr prject and payment: Prject start date (within 90 days f apprval) and cmpletin date All receipts submitted by date (within 60 days f prject cmpletin date) Payment within 30 days f receipt submissin (n partial payments) The City is respnsible fr payment t the prperty wner. N funds are carried ver frm year t year t fund the prgrams. City Cuncil will need t apprve the budget each year. Applicatin Prcess includes the fllwing: The prperty and/r business wner will meet infrmally with the RDA Executive Directr t discuss prject eligibility, design guidelines, and apprpriate dcumentatin. The prperty and/r business wner prepares dcumentatin (and illustratin as apprpriate) f planned prject, and submits t RDA Executive Directr. RDA Executive Directr identifies if prject meets eligibility requirements and, if s, will facilitate design review and apprval prcess. Upn apprval, RDA Executive Directr will establish timeline fr prject and payment deadlines, btain receipts, and submit fr reimbursement t City. An Award letter will be issued by the RDA. The RDA Executive Directr prvides all dcumentatin, including eligibility, design apprval, grant amunt, receipts, and timelines fr payment. N applicatins will be accepted fr retractive prjects.
Purpse: Rchester Dwntwn Alliance Façade Imprvement Grant Prgram Guidelines The City f Rchester and the RDA recgnize the imprtance f a high quality retail and business envirnment t the cntinued success f dwntwn Rchester. The Facade Imprvement Grant Prgram is intended t help defray csts assciated with imprving the facades f business prperties in dwntwn Rchester. The prgram is ffered as an incentive t dwntwn prperty wners. Eligibility: Any prperty r business wner whse prperty lies within the Special Services District (dwntwn Rchester) is eligible fr the prgram. Newly cnstructed buildings (built within the last 3 years) are ineligible frm participating in this prgram. Use f Funds: The funds may be used t pay fr 50% f the csts assciated with the design and cnstructin f imprvements t a building s facades. Grant Funds will be prvided as a reimbursement t the business r prperty wner. Grant Amunt: Prperty and business wners may apply fr grant assistance f up t 50% f the cst f imprvements, nt t exceed $20,000. Grant funds will be made available n a first cme first serve basis. Up t $300 f the grant amunt may be used t prcure prfessinal assistance fr RDA Design Review prcess. Steps in the Prcess: 1. The prperty and/r business wner will meet infrmally with the RDA Executive Directr t discuss prject eligibility, design guidelines, and apprpriate dcumentatin. 2. The prperty r business wner prepares an applicatin, including plans and specificatins, at an apprpriate level f detail, and submits t RDA Executive Directr. If the applicant is nt the wner f the prperty where the imprvements will be made, they must btain a letter f apprval frm the prperty wner authrizing the imprvements. 3. The RDA Executive Directr determines if prject meets eligibility and funding requirements and, if s, facilitates the design review and apprval prcess. 4. Upn review and recmmendatin by the RDA Design Review Grup, the applicant and RDA Executive Directr finalize grant negtiatins. An Award letter will be issued by the RDA. 5. Business r prperty wner makes apprved façade imprvements and pays all invices related t the imprvements. 6. Applicant submits request fr reimbursement t RDA Executive Directr, prviding dcumentatin that the wrk was cmpleted in accrdance with the apprved plans and specificatins, and prvides receipts fr all wrk cmpleted. 7. RDA Executive Directr submits funding request and dcumentatin t the City. 8. The City issues check t the applicant. If interested please cntact: Jn Eckhff, Executive Directr Rchester Dwntwn Alliance 220 S Bradway, Suite 100 (507) 424-5677
Special Service District
RDA Design Review Grup Practice Purpse: T ensure that RDA/City imprvement mney is used t make Urban Village prperties mre cnsistent with Overlay Zne Design Guidelines (r at least NOT be used t make prperties less cnsistent with Overlay Zne Design Guidelines). A prfessinal bdy f experts will cnsult with the RDA Executive Directr and Develpment Cmmittee t apply Urban Village Overlay Zne Design Guidelines t prject prpsals and render an pinin n whether the prject meets the guidelines. Design Guidelines are purpsely nn-specific in areas, thus are best interpreted by design prfessinals. Rle: T review design elements fr prjects requesting funding as part f Façade Imprvement and Interest Buy-Dwn prgrams. Over time, may expand t ther types f reviews. S an additinal purpse f the practice is t gain experience with the cncept f design review, and t educate lcal design prfessinals and building wners as t the cntent and missin f the Design Guidelines. Fr review, The purpse f the urban village verlay zning district is t: 1. Prmte develpment f a cmpact pedestrian-riented urban village prviding pprtunities t live, wrk, shp, learn, and play in a unique, attractive, and engaging envirnment at densities and intensities that supprt transit usage. 2. Prmte a select mix f uses (residential, retail, business, institutinal, educatinal, cultural, and entertainment). 3. Enhance the urban village s character thrugh high quality urban design, attractive t lcals and visitrs. 4. Prmte the health, well-being, and scial interactin f wrkers, visitrs and residents by creating an envirnment where peple can incrprate physical activity int daily life; by encuraging walking, biking, and alternative means f transprtatin. 5. Create cnfidence in the future, incentive t stay and invest, plus lng lasting value Grup Purpse: (apprved by full RDA Bard 07-25-2008) Prvide prfessinal nn-biased pinin (by three prfessinals) in a lcal Architecture/Engineering firm. Facilitate quick turnarund f review, as well as prvide assistance t building wners wh need prfessinal design r prject input Encurage lcal design prfessinals and wners t becme familiar with Urban Village Overlay Zne Design Guidelines, and agree with the guidelines and verall visin fr dwntwn Rchester. Funding, Organizatin and Prcess: RDA Executive Directr/staff t call grup t actin and prvide needed dcumentatin fr review, cllate respnse, and prvide final apprval dcumentatin as apprpriate Grup will be asked t cmplete the RDA Design Review Wrksheet and render a yes r n pinin, alng with supprting cmments Time and pinin will be paid fr ut f prgram funds as described in the specific prgram guidelines.
Membership: Fur firms have been selected and discussin has ccurred. They are: HDR, HGA, Yaggy Clby, and TSP. One firm will be designated each year as the primary review firm. A backup firm will be designated each year as well, t prvide cverage fr cnflicts f interest, and t prvide cnsistency between cnsecutive years. The primary review firm will CC the backup review firm as they cnsult with the wners and RDA thrughut the year. The fur firms will identify hw 1 st and subsequent year firms are selected, and will participate in shaping details f the review prcess and assciated paperwrk as the prgram prgresses. The primary review firm will nt review a prpsed prject if they have a pre-existing business relatinship with the applicant wner. T avid the perceptin f a ptential cnflict, they will refer the review t the backup firm. If the primary review firm des nt have a pre-existing business relatinship with the applicant wner, they are free t establish ne. Their design services will help the wner t create a prject which fulfills the RDA prject cnsistent with the purpse f the Overlay Zne Design Guidelines.
Rchester Dwntwn Alliance Applicatin fr Dwntwn Financial Assistance Name f Applicant(s): 1. Mailing Address f Applicant: 2. Telephne Number(s): 3. Prpsed Business Address:, Rchester, MN 4. Des the applicant wn the building? Yes N (If the answer t N. 5 is N, please attach a letter frm the building wner evidencing a cmmitment t the applicant.) 5. Estimated Ttal Prject Cst: $ 6. Ttal Private Lan being btained: $ 7. Ttal Financial Assistance Requested: $ 8. Prpsed prject start date: 9. Prpsed prject cmpletin date: 10. The legal name f the brrwer/grantee is: 11. The brrwer/grantee is: Individual Crpratin LLC Partnership 12. List f attachments fr Interest Buy-Dwn Prgram r Façade Imprvement Grant applicants. Dcumentatin (and illustratin as apprpriate) f planned prject. RDA design apprval. A brief narrative descriptin f the business. Letter f apprval authrizing leasehld imprvement frm the prperty wner, if nt wned by the business. The undersigned applicant affirms that: 1. The infrmatin in this applicatin is true and accurate. 2. The applicant has read and understands the prgram guidelines and cnditins which are incrprated here by reference. 3. The Rchester Dwntwn Alliance reserves the right, in its sle discretin, t reject this applicatin. Date: Signature f Applicant(s): Tax ID# f business: _ When cmpleted submit t: Rchester Dwntwn Alliance Attn. Jn Eckhff 220 S Bradway, Suite 100 Rchester, MN 55904 507-424-5677