Sponsoring Agency: City of Akron
Type of Fund: Grant
Deadline Available: Not Available
Deadline Date (mm/dd/yyyy):
Size of the Fund: Less than USD $50,000
This program is funded with Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Businesses are qualified at the federal level based on household earnings of the census block in which they are located.
Funding Information
Maximum grant is $30,000.
Matching grants from the City are available only for exterior improvements and/or site improvements. Eligible items include façade renovation, brick and masonry cleaning, installation of new doors and windows, signage improvements, outdoor lighting, outdoor security cameras, roofing, paving and landscaping of on-site parking areas and architectural fees. HVAC and building additions do not generally qualify for assistance.
Grants are awarded by building, rather than address or parcel. This means a strip mall/plaza would be eligible for one grant; an owner with multiple separate structures on the same parcel would be able to apply for each structure.
Since these façade improvement grants are public funds, participants will be expected to get at least three bids for their project. This allows for some assurance that the project pricing is competitive and that there is an opportunity to support local businesses.
Eligibility Criteria
Owners of business property in specified Great Streets areas are eligible to apply for financial assistance under this program. Preference is given to established businesses. All applicants must be pre-qualified by the City to receive assistance according to Federal guidelines. Applications will be ranked based on pre-determined criteria provided on page 16 of this packet. It is not guaranteed that all applicants will receive assistance.
Property owners must be current on taxes OR have been making faithful payments for six months prior to applying. Property owners must continue to make faithful payments and/or stay current on taxes until the project is completed.
Project eligibility must be confirmed by the Office of Integrated Development.
A DUNS number (Dun & Bradstreet) is required for use of federal funds. The application takes only a few minutes to fill out, and you should be assigned a DUNS number within 30 days, or as soon as 48 hours.
After receipt of an application and confirmation of a possible grant award, a representative of the Office of Integrated Development will contact the applicant. The representative will meet with eligible applicants to review their property, offer recommendations for building and site improvements, and assist the applicant through the review process.
More information at: https://akronohio.submittable.com/submit
