From CITY OF BOWLING GREEN
The city of Bowling Green is now taking applications for the downtown facade enhancement program, an initiative to assist in preserving historic buildings in downtown Bowling Green. The program is a reimbursement grant that provides 50% matching funds up to $20,000 for eligible downtown exterior improvement projects. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Eligible project include exterior improvements to the facade of a downtown building. An eligible building is any commercial or mixed-use building located in the Downtown Special Improvement District – see the map on the city website.
These improvements may include:
- Awnings
- Masonry work: brick cleaning, tuck pointing, replacement
- Painting
- Repair, restoration, or appropriate replacement of exterior windows and doors
- Repair or replacement of roofing system
- Fire escapes or exterior upper floor access
- Any other visible exterior improvements
The grant will not fund interior improvements, operating funds, HVAC repair, plumbing repair, sidewalk repair, furnishings, equipment, commercial signage (unless part of the historic structure, which will be determined at the discretion of staff), and landscaping. Historical features of the facade should remain intact as much as possible (i.e. the city will not reimburse for any request that removes ornate historical features, such as lower or upper cornices, ornamental window trims, or storefront display windows).
Grant applications must be submitted to the Planning Department online, with a project description, current photos of proposed work area, a rendering/drawing of proposed work to scale, and itemized cost estimates of proposed work by qualified contractors.
