The purpose of the Program is to improve the appearance of mixed use and commercial buildings (including those designated under the Ontario Heritage Act) through the rehabilitation, restoration and improvement of the visible facade, including retail storefront display areas and signage. The types of proposed repairs that were approved through the Heritage Alteration Permit process meet the eligibility criteria identified in the program. Both the facade and two sides of the building are visible from Sandwich Street and therefore eligible for $25,000 through this program. The grant will be disbursed to the applicant once the work is complete and inspected by the Planning and Building Department.
Improvements to the Sandwich Street (east facing) facade are nearing completion. The applicant will also repair the brick and mortar and paint the three remaining facades in the near future. As stated in the Heritage Alteration Report the brick found on the side facades appear to be original to the building and came from the Jules Robinet Brick yard. Typically, painting over the original brick would not be permitted. However, in this case the brick had already been painted (years ago) and attempting to remove the paint would likely further damage the original brick.
Commercial Core Feasibility Grant Program
The purpose of this grant is to provide 50% of the cost of an eligible feasibility study to a maximum grant of $5,000 per property/project. The applicant hired consultant to conduct a structural analysis. However, the total cost has not been submitted at this point in time.
The purpose of the program is to provide an additional incentive to augment the other incentive programs and to facilitate and spur adaptive re-use, redevelopment and new construction. The program provides a grant equal to 100% of the fees paid for the eligible types of development applications and building permits. The applicant is required to apply for the following applications which are eligible under this program:
Building/Demolition Permit(s)
| Remove deteriorated brick along East elevation | |
| Install new brick facade along the East elevation | |
| Total: | |
Revitalization Grant
The purpose of this program is to use the tax increase that can result when a property is rehabilitated, redeveloped or developed to provide assistance in securing the project financing and offset some of the costs associated with the rehabilitation. The program will provide an annual grant equal to 70% of the increase in City property taxes for 10 years after project completion as long as the project results in an increase in assessment and therefore an increase in property taxes.