Stevens Point considers updates to downtown façade grant program
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By Brandi Makuski
STEVENS POINT — City officials are weighing several updates to a grant program that helps preserve and improve downtown building facades, with changes aimed at making the process more accessible and flexible for property owners.
Proposed amendments to the Downtown Façade Improvement Grant Program will be reviewed by the city’s Finance Committee on Monday, April 14. The changes are designed to streamline application approvals, expand the types of improvements eligible for funding, and prioritize projects that pursue historic tax credits.
The program, funded through Tax Incremental Financing District No. 6, was created in the early 2010s to support exterior renovations to commercial and mixed-use buildings in Stevens Point’s historic downtown. Each year, the city transfers $100,000 from TID No. 6 to fund the program, which offers reimbursement grants of up to 40% of eligible costs, capped at $30,000.
Community Development staff are recommending the following changes:
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Allow doors and windows to be eligible improvements on their own, rather than requiring them to be part of a broader storefront restoration project;
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Extend the completion deadline from 12 to 18 months to better accommodate labor and supply delays;
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Prioritize projects that receive tax credits through the State Historic Preservation Office to maximize impact and encourage larger-scale restorations;
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Permit faster approval by allowing the designated agent and commission chair to approve qualifying applications, rather than requiring full review by the Historic Preservation/Design Review Commission.
The changes were approved by the Historic Preservation/Design Review Commission on March 24 and are being presented to the Finance Committee for final consideration.
According to Adam Kuhn, the city’s associate planner and zoning administrator, the adjustments are meant to “reduce the red tape involved with this grant program” and help make the most of its remaining years. TID No. 6 is set to expire in the early 2030s.
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