Applications are available at www.wichita.gov and City offices.
The City of Wichita has launched the newly created Neighborhood Façade Program, which is designed to assist small, neighborhood businesses with façade improvements that will enhance the business and the neighborhood’s commercial investments.
Applying businesses must have fewer than 20 employees. There is a maximum of $50,000 available per business and funds will be in the form of a grant. Interested parties can go to www.wichita.gov, and follow the links to the Office of Urban Development to obtain an application online. Applications can also be picked up at City Hall in the Office of Urban Development (13th Floor) or the Housing and Community Services Department, 332 N. Riverview. The official application period is November 15, 2009 – January 1, 2010.
In addition to the criteria regarding number of employees, applicants must have been in business at the current location for at least one year, must be current with all taxing authorities and must have no outstanding obligations with the City of Wichita. Preference will be given to businesses owned by people who are low-to-moderate income or whose employee base includes people who are low-to-moderate income or who agree to subcontract more than 25% of construction work to low-to-moderate income entities. Businesses must also be compatible with approved neighborhood plans. Program guidelines were approved by the City Council on Tuesday.
The program will be administered through the City’s Office of Urban Development, which is responsible for the City’s Façade Improvement Program for larger façade projects.
“This provides a great opportunity for smaller businesses to update their facades, and do for the smaller operations, what the Façade Improvement Program has been able to do for the larger businesses”, said Allen Bell, Director of the Office of Urban Development.
Mary K. Vaughn, Director of the Housing and Community Services Department whose department submitted the application to HUD, added: “This is also a great way to stimulate economic development activity at the grassroots level.”
The Neighborhood Facade program is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and will be administered according to regulations governing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
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