A. Implementation: A Facade Improvement Program is hereby implemented to promote the continued use and maintenance of commercial buildings in the Village and to recommend granting incentives to business property owners for improvements to their building facades. The purpose of this program is to increase assessed valuation within the Village as established by the comprehensive economic development strategy. The Facade Improvement Program shall be administered as follows:
1. Grant Eligibility: To be eligible for a facade improvement grant, a building must be used in whole or in part for retail or other commercial purposes. Business and property owners who are determined by the Village Manager or his designee to be in good standing with the Village must propose to make facade and exterior building improvements, of which up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) in grant money can be made available as defined in subsection A3 of this section, to be eligible for a facade improvement grant. Business or property owners are required to pay no less than fifty percent (50%) of the cost to complete any proposed facade or exterior building improvements to be eligible for a facade improvement grant. Building permit fees and related costs shall not be used to determine any business or property owner contribution.
2. Limit And Nature Of Grant Award:
a. Program incentives shall not exceed the annual amount made available within the Village's annual fiscal budget, as from time to time determined by the Village Board of Trustees.
b. Facade Improvement Program shall be administered by the Community and Economic Development Department. Prior to receiving payment, the owner or contractor must submit to an inspection by the Village staff of all eligible improvement costs, provide proof of paid receipts, contractor and subcontractor sworn statements, and all applicable lien waivers. Contractor and subcontractor sworn statements shall provide evidence of work being completed in accordance with approved contract terms.
3. Eligible Costs: The following improvement costs are eligible for reimbursement from the facade improvement grant:
a. Installation, repair, and replacement of exterior exit doors to provide public access, meet current Building and Fire Codes, and/or improve the overall appearance of the building;
b. Repair, replacement, or addition of exterior shutters and awnings, except for backlit and/or plastic awnings;
c. Repair and replacement of signs;
d. Repair, replacement, and installation of exterior stairs, porches, railings, and exit facilities;
e. Repair and rebuilding of exterior walls;
f. Repair of windows, frames, sills, glazing, replacement of glass, and installation of new windows;
g. Repair or construction of cornices in order to replicate the building's original facade;
h. Repair, installation, replacement, or addition of any other improvement the Village Manager or his designee deems appropriate; and
i. Other actions, aside from the aforementioned eligible costs, which have been determined by the Board of Trustees to increase the overall assessed valuation of the property.
4. Ineligible Costs: The following costs are not eligible for reimbursement from the facade improvement grant:
a. Building permit fees and related costs;
b. Interior work not related to the exterior improvements; and
c. Plumbing.
B. Application And Required Submittals: Applicants shall be required to submit a complete application on forms required by the Village and such other materials, as from time to time determined necessary by the Director of the Community and Economic Development Department or Village Manager, to the Community and Economic Development Department.
C. Application Review And Approval Process:
1. Upon the Community and Economic Development Department's receipt of application materials and review, it shall forward the facade improvement plan for consideration by the Village Board. The Village Board shall consider the improvement as it relates to meeting the standards set forth within applicable design standards.
2. The Village Board shall determine project compliance and consider the application and the Community and Economic Development Department's recommendation, as well as a draft facade improvement agreement. The application and facade improvement grant agreement shall be approved by resolution in order for the grant to be provided.
D. Conditions: The applicant shall be subject to the following conditions:
1. Upon approval of the application, the applicant shall enter into a facade improvement grant agreement with the Village of Bensenville, the form and substance of which is acceptable to the Village Attorney, and to be provided by the Village Manager, which shall govern the use of the grant. The Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute the agreement on behalf of the Village, upon approval of the provision of the grant by the Village Board. The agreement shall be recorded with the Office of the DuPage County Recorder of Deeds.
2. Should the applicant be found to have improperly used the grant money or to have otherwise abandoned the grant-subject property before completion of the eligible cost items, the Village shall have a lien against the property in its favor in the amount of the facade improvement grant released to the applicant and not used to pay any designated contractor for work undertaken as part of the Facade Improvement Program. (Ord. 38-2017, 10-24-2017)