In 2019, the Town of Christiansburg created a new program aimed at helping property or business owners improve their building façades and encourage investment in our historic central business areas. The Façade Grant Program, the first of its kind in the Town of Christiansburg, completed its first round in 2020 and is back for round two. The program is designed to improve the streetscape of Downtown and Cambria, strengthen partnerships with Downtown and Cambria stakeholders and encourage revitalization of older buildings.
The Town has budgeted $25,000 this fiscal year to award at least five matching grants of up to $4,500 each to qualifying and selected property or business owners. Between April 21 and May 12, 2021, eligible property or business owners can apply for the grant through an application found on the Town’s website at www.christiansburg.org/façadegrant. A committee—comprised of Town staff, a Town Council member and members of the community—will review the applications and select up to five properties that will receive the $4,500 matching grants.
Since this program is designed to be a matching grant, the Town is looking for property or business owners who are planning to make other substantial investments in their properties. The building should be occupied or in the process of being repaired or upgraded. Several types of projects can be done with the grant monies, including:
- Stabilization of the façade of the buildings.
- Removal of historically-inconsistent materials from façades, such as wooden board, plywood, vinyl or other siding and replacement windows, if restoring original details underneath, such as transom windows.
- Restoration of original windows, replacement of windows with period-correct versions or reopening of bricked-up windows.
- Repair, restoration or replacement of period-correct architectural details, such as cornices, dormers, doors, lintels, window pediments, columns and similar details deemed to be contributing to the character of the building.
- Painting in historic or period colors.
- Restoration of historic painted signage.
- Murals on building façades fronting a public street.
- Hardscaping/landscaping improvements in area between front of the building and the public street.
If approved, the property or business owner would work with a local artist selected by the Town to draft a design concept, and once the artist's rendering is approved by the committee, the property or business owner would perform or contract all building improvements within six months, or over an approved phasing schedule of nine months. Throughout the process, the property or business owner would be able to invoice the Town for work completed by providing relevant receipts, up to $4,500.
The Town is excited about the potential this program provides to our Downtown and Cambria areas and is holding three information sessions about the grant.
- Monday, April 26, 2021, at 9 a.m. via Zoom
- Thursday, April 29, 2021, at noon via Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89133357352?pwd=UzN4ZmxNaGl0ZnB4QmkzVVdkcHJEQT09 or
dial 312-626-6799, 646-558-8656, 301-715-8592, 346-248-7799, 669-900-6833 or 253-215-8782, Webinar ID: 891 3335 7352
- Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall
A video recording of the presentation on April 26 will be available on the Town's YouTube page after the meeting.