The Town of Christiansburg has created a new program aimed at helping property and business owners improve their building facades and encourage investment in our historic central business areas. The Façade Grant Program, the first of its kind in the Town of Christiansburg, 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 Jan. 15 and Feb. 5, 2019, eligible property or business owners can apply for the grant through an application found on the Town’s website at www.christiansburg.org/facadegrant. 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 facade of the buildings.
- Removal of historically-inconsistent materials from facades, 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 facades 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, Jan. 7, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
- 37 W. Main St. – Macado’s Conference Room (enter directly from Main Street)
- Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
- 1130 Cambria St. NE - Amelia’s Pizzeria and Restaurant (meeting room in the back of restaurant)
- Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 at 9 a.m.
- 37 W. Main St. – Macado’s Conference Room (enter directly from Main Street)
Town staff will be on site to provide additional information, answer questions and hand out hard copies of the application.
Depending on the success and demand after the program launches, the eligible areas may be expanded beyond Downtown and Cambria, into other parts of Christiansburg.