Once again this year, Main Street Vineland is excited to announce two programs for downtown Vineland businesses to replace or improve their façades. Your façade speaks for your business and the cumulative effect of attractive façades speaks loudly for the downtown.
For the third year we have a façade improvement program called Operation Facelift. This year, we applied for and were awarded a $60,000 Transformation Grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for a program that we’re calling Operation Facelift III. The current program, while working toward the same goals, is a bit different from the older program.
If you have a commercial property in the Main Street-designated area of Landis Avenue—Delsea Drive to the 800 block—you are eligible for this program. It offers a grant of 80 percent of costs up to $15,000 per storefront, with the Main Street Vineland contribution not to exceed $12,000 or 20 percent of the project cost contribution by the business and/or property owner. For a sign face only, the grant is 80 percent of up to $1,500, with the Main Street Vineland contribution not to exceed $1,200 or 20 percent of the project cost contribution.
Grant uses include cleaning and painting, new awnings and signs; exterior wall repairs; building-mounted façade lighting; entries, door and window repairs and replacements; façade improvements, façade code violation eradication; and soft costs (various fees). Improvements must meet city codes, the Main Street New Jersey storefront and façade design guidelines, and be approved by Main Street Vineland’s design review committee. The completion deadline for all projects is May 31, 2024.
We have another program through the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) beautification initiative of which we are a part. The boundaries for the NPP district are somewhat different from the Main Street boundaries and include some residential areas just off of downtown. NPP is devoting $25,000 of funding, with a $5,000 maximum for each business project. Grants may be made to eligible property or business owners in the NPP District to address a combination of the following areas of a building’s exterior front: cleaning and painting; new awnings and signs; exterior wall repairs—including the repair, restorative installation of decorative details, and other design features; building mounted façade lighting; entries, door and window repairs and replacements; miscellaneous façade improvements; and façade code violation eradication. The completion deadline for all projects is November 30, 2023.
These programs can help improve a building’s appearance and help a business grow. Go to theave.biz or call our office at 856-794-8653 for more information and details on both of these exciting façade improvement programs.
