[Durham INC] Durham Seeks Neighborhood & Downtown Grant Applicants

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>  

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC <http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC>


http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC <http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC>


 

For Immediate Release: March 1, 2013

 

 

Durham Seeks Applicants for Neighborhood and Downtown Grants

April 4th Deadline to Submit Applications; Public Information Session
Set for March 12th

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Durham business owners interested in funds to help
improve their business locations should take note of two upcoming grant
opportunities.


The City of Durham's Office of Economic and Workforce Development is now
accepting applications for targeted areas inside the city limits for
Retail and Professional Services Grant and Building Improvement Grants.


Eligible projects will be considered for both grant opportunities in the
Downtown Development Tier and within the community development area
outside of the Downtown Development Tier, including targeted corridors
and projects within targeted urban growth areas. The targeted corridors
inside the community development area are Angier Avenue and Driver
Street; West Chapel Hill Street; Mangum Street; Fayetteville Street;
East Main Street; and Holloway Street. The targeted urban growth areas
are Wellons Village, North Roxboro Road, and Avondale Drive. 

To assist applicants with identifying whether proposed projects are
located within eligible geographic areas, a state-of-the-art mapping
application has been developed by the City's Geographic Information
Systems' Division. The application is available on the City's website at
http://gisweb.durhamnc.gov/durhammaps/oewd/viewer/index.html
<http://gisweb.durhamnc.gov/durhammaps/oewd/viewer/index.html> .  

Potential applicants interested in learning more about this grant
opportunity may also attend a public information session on Tuesday,
March 12, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the City Hall Audit Services
Conference Room,  located on the first floor of City Hall at 101 City
Hall Plaza, Durham.  

 

Retail and Professional Services Grant
In order to be eligible for the Retail and Professional Services Grant,
the project property must be a street level, retail business, restaurant
or a certain professional or personal services business such as a
childcare center or beauty salon. The applicant must be the owner of the
property or have a fully signed lease and a letter of approval from the
property owner supporting the proposed improvements. The business must
be open at least five days a week, eight hours per day. Organizations
that are not eligible to apply are religious organizations; government
agencies or offices; businesses or private clubs that exclude minors as
patrons; and residential projects.

Retail and Professional Services Grant recipients are eligible to
receive up to $15,000 in matching funds from the City for a project that
meets eligibility criteria and scores high enough in the competitive
evaluation process. Only funds spent on work performed after City
approval of the grant are eligible for reimbursement. Eligible expenses
include, but are not limited to, security systems, telephone systems,
point-of-sale equipment, kitchen equipment, millwork, built-in display
furnishings and shelving, HVAC, coolers, plumbing, demolition, flooring,
grease traps, sprinkler systems, electrical, installation of walls,
package and labeling equipment and similar items.



Building Improvement Grant
The Building Improvement Grant requires that eligible applicants own the
building at the time of application and the project must be private
property and non-residential. Capital investment improvements must be on
an existing building that has vacant spaces for the purpose of improving
and/or upgrading the interior and exterior in order to make the first
floor more rentable or "retail/restaurant-ready." The total value of the
project cannot exceed $1 million. Grant parameters include the
following: 

*         If the project is within the Community Development Area
outside the Downtown Development Tier, the minimum total project capital
investment must be at least $187,500.

*         If the project is within the Downtown Development Tier, the
minimum total project capital investment must be at least $225,000.

*         If the project is within a Targeted Portion of the Urban
Growth Area, the minimum total project capital investment must be at
least $300,000. 

 

Building Improvement Grant recipients are eligible to receive up to
$75,000 in matching funds from the city. An overview of the grant
guidelines, application process and mapping tool to determine
eligibility based solely on geographic location is available at 
http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org
<http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org> . 

 
The deadline to apply for a Retail Professional Services Grant or a
Building Improvement Grant is 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2013. All
efforts will be made to evaluate and determine funding requests within
45 days of the submission deadline. The City anticipates notifying
applicants of their award status by April 29, 2013. 

 

Interested applicants whose properties lie outside the Downtown
Development Tier, but within the community development area, may contact
Reginald Jones, economic development coordinator with the City's Office
of Economic and Workforce Development, by email at 
Reginald.Jones at DurhamNC.gov <mailto:Reginald.Jones at DurhamNC.gov>  or by
phone at (919) 560-4965, ext. 15207.  



Applicants whose properties lie inside the Downtown Development Tier may
contact Peter Coyle, senior economic development coordinator with the
City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development, by email at 
Peter.Coyle at DurhamNC.gov <mailto:Peter.Coyle at DurhamNC.gov>  or by phone
at (919)560-4965, ext. 15205. 

 

About the Office of Economic & Workforce Development

Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the Office of Economic & Workforce
Development helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by
increasing the city's tax base through several revitalization
initiatives, including new development efforts in the central city area.
The department also plans and promotes cultural awareness and events,
identifies and recruits target industries as well as assesses and trains
Durham residents to fill new jobs. For more information, visit 
http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org
<http://www.DurhamEconomicDevelopment.org> , "like" on Facebook at 
http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamOEWD <http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamOEWD>
, or "follow" on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/DurhamOEWD
<http://Twitter.com/DurhamOEWD> .

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