Façade Incentive Program

Background              

The Façade Incentive Program is facilitated by Sandersville Main Street. You can find the application here and the guidelines here for download.

Program Purpose

The Façade Incentive program was created to encourage private investment in historic facades by providing financial incentives. Historically sensitive rehabilitation and dramatic improvement of facades in downtown Sandersville will encourage long-term and sustainable economic development in Sandersville and help maintain, strengthen and capitalize on our community’s historic resources. By Street appearance of building facades, the Program helps to improve the economic viability of the downtown.

Grant Funding

This program is funded by Sandersville Main Street. The number of projects receiving grants in a fiscal year is based on the program budget with a new funding cycle beginning January 1. Incentives are awarded monthly if funds are available. Incentives reimburse 50% of eligible project costs up to $2,000.

Grant Timing

The City of Sandersville Main Street Board holds a review of Grant Applications at their monthly meetings. (The Third Thursday of each Month at 8:30am.) If the applicant is not present at the Board meeting, they will be notified within 7 days by phone, email or mail.

Program Target Area

The target area for the City of Sandersville Façade Incentive Program is the City of Sandersville Downtown District. 

Eligible Applicants

1. Owners of commercial buildings in the Downtown district used for commercial purposes and conforming to zoning use are eligible to apply for grant funds.
2. Tenants of eligible buildings may request grant funds if they submit a notarized letter of permission from the property owner with their application.

Eligible Improvement Projects

1. Exterior brick or wall surface cleaning using gentlest means.
2. Re-pointing of brick mortar joints.
3. Patching and painting of façade walls.
4. Storefront Window and/or door repair or appropriate replacement.
5. Cornice repair or appropriate replacement.
6. Removal of angled projecting roofs from the façade and repair of surface.
7. Other exterior improvements of a historical or structural nature.

Ineligible Project Expenses

1. Financing or refinancing debt, loan origination fees.
2. Property acquisition.
3. Building permit fees or development review fees.
4. Property appraisals.
5. Legal fees or architectural fees.
6. Labor costs paid to owner/applicant or relatives of the owner/applicant.
7. Signage

Phone, Email or Mail

1. Applications for projects must be approved by the City of Sandersville Main Street Board of Directors prior to commencement of the work for which funds are requested.
2. All rehabilitation projects must meet the City of Sandersville zoning and building codes.
3. In general, the City of Sandersville Main Street Board will encourage repair and preservation of existing historic features of facades and encourage appropriate changes to alterations to these facades that have resulted in an incoherent unattractive or inharmonious appearance. Designs should be compatible with the buildings and downtown historic character.
4. Any grant for surgical cleaning must ensure that best management practices shall be used, and environmental permits are obtained if removing lead-based paint or discarding paint material into the City’s storm water sewers. Projects where cleaning methods are used that damage the historic building materials particularly sandblasting, shall not be awarded an incentive.
5. Paint and material colors will be reviewed, should either be based on original colors obtained from paint samples on the buildings, historic color samples, or be compatible with adjoining buildings and colors in Downtown Sandersville. Trim colors which highlight building details, are encouraged.  Inappropriate colors should be avoided.
6. Project should not remove, alter, damage or cover up significant architectural features of the building which are original, or which reflect a major alteration that is architecturally significant.
7. Projects may partially or fully restore the historic appearance of the building based on actual evidence, including photographs, written documentation, and held data on the building.
8. Projects funded by grant monies must be completed within one year of the date that the grant application is approved. An extension may be approved at the sole discretion of the City of Sandersville Main Street Board under significant special circumstances.
9. Any improvements that have been made through the Façade Incentive Program must be maintained by the applicant and may not be removed or significantly altered for a period of ten (10) years.
10. All applicants must have all property (real and personal) taxes paid to date.

No façade incentive funds will be released until 100% of the approved façade work is complete and final inspections of the work show that all program requirements have a commercial purpose. Funds will be released upon provision of adequate proof of payments to contractors and waivers of lien.

Step-By-Step Application Process

1. A complete grant application must be submitted to the City of Sandersville Main Street. Paint sample, historic color samples, should be obtained or be compatible with façade work to be performed. Two estimates are required and three are recommended. These must be submitted on letterhead from licensed contractors that can perform the work. The exact amount of funding being requested shall be based on the estimate selected and outlined on the application. Proof of funding must be provided. Should the project exceed the initial estimate, only the original is approved.
2. If an applicant is requesting funding for more than one building, the applicant must provide obtained paint samples from the buildings, historic color samples, or be compatible with projects for purposes of grant funding.
3. An application fee may be made payable to the City of Sandersville to cover a historic review consultant, and proof of project funding must accompany the completed application form. Your application fee will be reimbursed if your project is not funding approved.
4. The application will be reviewed by the Community Development Department to make sure the work proposed complies with the City’s ordinances. If the work does not comply the applicant will be contacted for a meeting with the City of Sandersville Building Inspector to resolve the zoning and building code issues. A revised application may be required. No grant application will proceed that does not meet the City of Sandersville Zoning ordinances. This preliminary review will not replace the City requirements for obtaining zoning approval or building permits.
5. Once a compliant application is returned to the City of Sandersville Main Street Board it will be reviewed  at their next board meeting.
6. Once an application has been approved, the applicant will be notified in writing by the Chair of the Board of Directors, and the amount clearly stated in the letter.
7. The City of Sandersville Main Street Board must approve of any changes in the drawings and work specifications, subject to final approval by the City of Sandersville Community Development Department. Deviations from an approved plan may disqualify the applicant from the program.
8. “Before” and “After” photographs must be taken by the applicant and be submitted to the City of Sandersville Community Development Department upon completion of the project. “Before” photographs must be taken before the commencement of the work.
9. When a façade improvement project is completed and “Before” and “After” photographs are submitted, the project will be examined by City of Sandersville Community Development Staff, and if necessary a licensed architect, or builder hired to serve as a grant inspector, to ensure that the work has been completed as specified in the grant application, which was approved by the City of Sandersville Main Street Board and the Community Development Department.
10. Once Staff have verified completion of the façade project, the applicant must submit copies of invoices, receipts, and an itemized statement of the total cost of the project signed by the applicant. All documentation for payment must be provided at one time to City of Sandersville Main Street Board and receipts must be provided no later than 60 days after completion of the project. After receipt and verification of the information, City of Sandersville Main Street Board will release the grant money to the applicant.

Contact information

For questions or to apply for the Façade Incentive Program, contact Carson Daley at the City of Sandersville, 141 West Haynes Street, Sandersville, GA 31082

Phone: 478 552 2525 x 110

Email: cdaley@sandersvillega.org