Facade Grant

        Commercial Façade Improvement Grants

The Commercial Façade Improvement Grant (CFIG) program is open to small business owners and commercial property owners within the City of Jackson, Mississippi. The program provides financial assistance in renovations and repairs to commercial and mixed-use buildings.

The grant application OPENS May 1, 2024. 

***GRANTS ARE A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE PROCESS. COMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR ELIGIBILITY***

The program is designed to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to cover expenses incurred in large projects. The grant awards up to $15,000 in funding.

Purpose:

Under the auspices of funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City of Jackson will implement the facade improvement program through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. This program encourages Business owners to enhance the overall appearance of the existing buildings by upgrading the facades fronting public streets. The objective of this grant program is to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of the district, making it more appealing to consumers and investors. It is important to note that these guidelines are not meant to replace or supersede any federal or state regulations. In cases where these guidelines conflict with existing regulations, federal and/or state regulations will prevail.

Eligible Scopes of Work

Eligible applicants will include property owners, developers and/or tenants of existing commercial buildings located within the boundaries of eligible CDBG target areas and the Enterprise Community.  For tenants to apply, the owner's written consent must be obtained.  Buildings that have previously participated in the program and received an Improvement grant are not eligible for further participation in the program. Businesses that previously received grants are not eligible. NEW CONSTRUCTION IS NOT ELIGIBLE

What the Facade Grant offers:

• Masonry repairs
• Storefront reconstruction
• Exterior painting
• Window and door repairs and replacements
• Permanent exterior lighting
• Repairs/replacement of gutters and downspouts
• Repairs to the roof affecting the building façade
• Sign design and installation
• Decking and stairs
• Improvement to outdoor seating areas and landscape, not including business/personal property, equipment, and supplies
• Pressure washing
• Removal of graffiti

Who can apply?  

Eligible applicants shall be for-profit organizations that are new or expanding commercial businesses whose activities contribute to a broader revitalization effort and whose projects are to promote investment. Small Business Development Grant funds shall only be used to provide financial assistance, signage, frontal lighting, or façade renovation.

The process would include:
1) Sending in a completed application
2) Provide copies of paid receipts or quotes (within 30 days of completion)
3) Code Enforcement Dept approval & work permits (if applicable)
4) On-site restoration work
5) Review/Audit of finished work
6) Reimbursement of 50% up to a maximum of $15,000

To be eligible, a business must meet ALL of the following criteria to qualify for grant award consideration:

• Operate their business within the Jackson city limits, and
• Employ residents of the United States, and
• Complete the grant Application submitting all required documents, and
• Must be a for-profit business.
• Must have 500,000 or less in annual gross revenue
• Must not have any outstanding liens, violations, or debts owed to the City.
• Physically located within a commercially zoned location inside the Jackson city limits, and utilizing the City of Jackson Water System;

Who is not eligible to apply per HUD guidelines?  

• Non-profit organizations/businesses;
• Home-based businesses;
• Businesses that involve the sale of medical or recreational cannabis;
• Private club or business that limits membership for reasons other than capacity;
• Businesses engaged in the production or wholesale selling of tobacco products, vaping, liquor, or sexually explicit materials;
• Businesses engaged in the production or wholesale/retail selling of firearms;
• Pawnshop, liquor store, adult bookstore, non-therapeutic massage parlor, strip club, or nightclub;
• Storage facility, trailer-storage yard, or junkyard;
• A business in which a majority owner or member of the immediate family is an elected official or employee of the City of Jackson, Mississippi;
• An establishment similar to any enumerated above; or
• Businesses are deemed ineligible by the S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the City of Jackson.
• Multiple applications/applicants may not simultaneously compete for funding for the same property parcel or address.

Multiple applications/applicants may not simultaneously compete for funding for the same property parcel or address. 

**If an application is incomplete, it will be deemed inactive, and processing will cease.**

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. 

FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION BEING DENIED. 

APPLICATIONS ARE FINAL UPON SUBMISSION; THEREFORE, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE REQUESTED OR CONSIDERED.

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