(A) The economic advisory council is authorized to implement and oversee a facade improvement grant program to promote the continued use and maintenance of commercial buildings in the city and to recommend the payment of grants to business property owners for improvements to their building facades. The facade improvement grant program shall be administered as follows:
(1) Grant eligibility. To be eligible for a facade improvement grant, a building must be used in commercial or industrial purposes. Business property owners must propose to make at least $20,000 in eligible improvements, as defined in division (A)(3) of this section, to be eligible for a facade improvement grant.
(2) Limit and nature of grant award. Facade improvement grants will be issued to qualifying applicants in a maximum amount not greater than 33% of the actual cost of the eligible improvements except for qualifying sign amortization projects where the maximum amount will be not greater than 50% of the actual cost.
(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) Painting of the exterior of the building;
(c) Repair, replacement or addition of exterior shutters and awnings, except for backlit and/or plastic awnings;
(d) Repair and replacement of signs;
(e) Repair, replacement and installation of exterior stairs, porches, railings and exit facilities;
(f) Repair and rebuilding of exterior walls, including cleaning, sealing, tuck-pointing, painting and the like;
(g) Tuck-pointing, other repair and cleaning of exterior bricks;
(h) Repair of windows, frames, sills, glazing, replacement of glass, and installation of new windows;
(i) Repair or construction of cornices in order to replicate the building’s original facade;
(j) Repair, installation, replacement or addition of any other improvement the City Administrator deems appropriate; and
(k) Landscaping and streetscape improvements including, but not limited to brickpavers, lighting and furnishings.
(4) Ineligible costs. The following improvement costs are not eligible for reimbursement from the facade improvement grant:
(a) Building permit fees and related costs;
(b) Extermination of insects, rodents, vermin and other pests;
(c) Title reports and legal fees;
(d) Acquisition of land or buildings; and
(e) Air conditioning and heating facilities.
(B) Application; submittals. Applicants under this section shall submit the following application materials to the Community Development Director, or his or her designee:
(1) Once completed and original application form, on a form approved by and provided by the Community Development Director, which form shall include:
(a) Applicant’s name, address and contact information;
(b) Subject property common address and property identification number;
(c) Legal description of subject property;
(d) Current use of the property;
(e) Improvement information, including, without limitation:
1. Contractor information;
2. Cost estimate;
3. Facade area;
4. Requested amount of grant;
5. Proposed improvements;
6. Copies of the drawings of the proposed work, to scale and preferably in color; and
7. Brief narrative description of the project;
(f) Pictures of facade and particular areas to be enhanced; and
(g) Assessed value of the property.
(C) Economic Development Commission; review and recommendations; City Council action.
(1) Upon the Community Development Director’s receipt of application materials, he or she shall review the application to determine its completeness with the above requirements. If an application is deemed complete by the Economic Development Director, he or she shall submit a report to the City Council outlining the facts, proposed improvements, and requested assistance.
(2) In the event that the Community Development Director finds that an application is incomplete or that the proposed scope of improvements are ineligible or partially ineligible for reimbursement under the facade improvement grant program, the Community Development Director shall inform the applicant in writing of any deficiency in his or her application or ineligible improvements.
(3) Not later than 45 days after receipt of the report from the Community Development Director, as established in division (C)(1) of this section, the City Council shall convene to consider the application and draft facade improvement grant agreement, which shall be approved by resolution duly adopted with the condition that the Economic Advisory Council holds a public meeting to approve final cost estimates.
(4) The Economic Advisory Council shall convene to review and approve final cost estimates, and grantee award amount. If the applicant fails to submit three adequate cost estimates, the Economic Advisory Council may deny approval and/or return application back to City Council for consideration.
(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 City of Oak Forest the form and substance of which to be provided by the Community Development Director, which shall govern the use of the grant. The agreement shall be recorded with the office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. The applicant shall be responsible for all fees and costs incurred in recording the facade improvement grant agreement.
(2) The applicant shall execute a restrictive covenant for the maintenance of facade improvements. The restrictive covenant shall be recorded with the office of the Cook County Recorder. The applicant shall be responsible for all fees and costs incurred in recording the restrictive covenant.
(3) Should the applicant fail to complete the eligible cost items or otherwise abandon the property before completion of the eligible cost items, the city shall have a lien against the property in its favor in the amount of the facade improvement grant released to the applicant.
(4) The applicant must maintain in good condition, and not change in any manner whatsoever, without first obtaining the express prior written consent of the City Administrator, the eligible cost items for which funds from the facade improvement grant were used for a period of at least ten years from the completion of those items, pursuant to the restrictive covenant for the maintenance of facade improvements.
(5) In the event that the owner of the building sells, transfers or conveys the property within five years after the date upon which any funds have been released from the facade improvement grant, the owner, or his or her successor, shall reimburse the city for the funds then released, to the date of sale, transfer or conveyance, from the facade improvement grant in accordance with the following sliding scale.
Year of Sale | Percentage of City Grant Then Release to Reimburse |
Up to one year | 100% |
Up to two years | 80% |
Up to three years | 60% |
Up to four years | 40% |
Up to five years | 20% |
(Ord. 2006-07-0047O, passed 7-25-2006; Am. Ord. 2011-06-0346O, passed 6-14-2011; Am. Ord. 2014-08-0513O, passed 8-26-2014)