City Of Uvalde, Texas

Mission Statement
Main Street Uvalde is a nonprofit organization that works with the community, governing entities, businesses, and property owners to advocate, initiate, and incentivize economic investment for the revitalization, preservation, and promotion of our historic downtown as an attractive, bustling destination for residents, tourists and travelers to gather, shop, work, and enjoy.

Vision Statement
Main Street Uvalde envisions a revitalized and active historic downtown destination that strives to be a family-friendly, attractive, safe, and desirable center for business, leisure, and entertainment incorporating and celebrating the unique history, architecture, and cultural diversity of the community. 

Main Street Uvalde program is seeking to improve the image of downtown Uvalde and its Main Street district by stimulating Historic Preservation through the assistance of funds and to help encourage the restoration of historic storefront facades located within the designated Main Street District.

Reimbursement Grant Details: The Main Street Uvalde Façade Improvement Grant Program is set up to reimburse property owners and in some cases tenants, after work is completed. Grant funds are matched 50/50 against private reinvestment.  The program is offering grants on a case-by-case/application basis.

Grant applications may be eligible for up to $10,000 for paint-only projects, signage & awning projects, façade rehabilitations, or full restoration projects. (Note: This program is designed to help a range of different needs, and applicants are eligible for only one grant per 12-month period. As funds are available.)

Funds will be focused on exterior façade work on storefronts and commercial buildings that immediately overlook public streets in the Main Street Uvalde District and are distributed on a per building/business basis but will consider all work on a case-by-case basis. No grants will be awarded for work to be covered by insurance or work that has already been completed prior to the application submission. Use of local contractors is encouraged and a minimum of two (2) written proposals are required for substantiation of the costs of the improvements. Self-contracted work can be reimbursed for eligible expenses, excluding labor. A written proposal including the cost of materials is required for self-contracted work applications. If awarded a reimbursement grant, any deviation from the approved proposal may result in the total withdrawal of funds if changes are not approved by the Historical Preservation Board.

Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted. All projects must be approved by the City of Uvalde Historical Preservation Board meet design and signage ordinance standards, and obtain the necessary permissions and permits.  All designs, paint colors, and material choices are subject to approval by the Historical Preservation Board.

*Final decisions regarding designs, color choices, materials, etc. are done by the Historical Preservation Board and the Main Street Uvalde program.

Types of projects that qualify for reimbursement grants:
(Can qualify for one OR the other - not both)

Large Comprehensive Projects: Façade Rehabilitation, Renovation, or Restoration- May qualify for a 50% match
Removing slipcovers, false fronts, or non-historic/added facades, repainting of replaced mortar joints and brick (if already previously painted), replacing/restoring cornices, removing paint from previously painted brick and restoring it to its natural condition (preserving ghost signs, etc.), replacing windows or doors that achieve a more historic look, and restoring transom windows. Also includes repainting of restored facades only if it is part of the overall restoration.

Paint Only Projects: Façade Painting and Minor Façade Repair- May qualify for a 50% match (on a case-by-case basis.)
Paint-only projects are also encouraged when total façade restoration is not an option. This may also include feasible small repairs needed to do an adequate repaint of the façade. Any major repairs would fall under the category above and are at the discretion of the Main Street Uvalde program and the Historical Preservation Board. *Note – Brick that has not been painted cannot be painted. Brick that has already been painted may be painted over. Color palette recommendations are available and final color approval will be determined by the Historical Preservation Board.

Signage and Awning Projects:  May qualify for a 50% match                                                    
New/Replacing/Restoring awnings or canopies to their historic state and replacing or repairing approved signage.
Restoration of individual facades, awning purchases, and new signage improves the visual appearance of the entire downtown, which is critical both to the success of individual businesses and to the economic health and vitality of the district.
Electronic signs are not eligible as part of the grant program.

Reimbursement Grant Eligibility and Guidelines:
To be eligible: The building must be within the Main Street Uvalde District based on the map provided by the Texas Historical Commission. You must fill out the grant application and grant agreement in its entirety. All applications must be signed and include the following attachments:

1. Drawings and plans of all proposed work.
2. Original copies of two (2) contractor bids or proposals.
3. Color samples of all final paint selections.
4. Photographs of building façade BEFORE work begins.
5. Historic photograph of façade (when available – check with Virginia Davis at the El Progreso Memorial Library).

Projects NOT eligible include: Interior or exterior structural work including the roof, that is not related to the façade, also including electrical, plumbing or A/C, fencing, or any other work that does not qualify according to the Main Street Uvalde program and Historical Preservation Board. The applicant must not be involved in any litigation that would affect the property for which the grant is intended.

The approval process will include the following without limitation:

1. The applicant must meet with the Main Street Manager before the start of the project.
2. All projects must meet current building codes, ordinances, as well as building permitting requirements.
3. The Historical Preservation Board will review the application and make recommendations as necessary regarding the historical appropriateness of the work proposed. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the FREE architectural services offered through the Texas Main Street Program. *Ask the Main Street Uvalde Manager for details.
4. Applicants who are not awarded funding may not re-apply with the exact same project for 12 months.
5. All projects must be completed within 120 days of approval and extensions may be available upon request. An extension denial cannot be appealed and shall be final with the Historical Preservation Board.
6. In-kind contributions may not be used as any part of the applicant’s match. Only cash expenditures by the applicant may be used in calculating the cost of improvements.
7. As a condition of the grant application and in consideration of the opportunity to apply for a grant, the applicant consents and shall allow the Main Street Manager or the Historical Preservation Board members to inspect the completed project before final funding.
8. The Historical Preservation Board shall have sole discretion in awarding the grants and can deduct from total grant payouts for work that are not deemed historically or architecturally appropriate for the area.
9. All signage that will be placed on the building must be approved by the Main Street program and meet City of Uvalde building standards.
10. In order to receive the 50% matching grant, the cost of the project must be double the amount of the grant. (i.e. $2000 grant requires a $4000 cost to be met.) If the cost of the project is under budget, then the grant will 50% match the final total.
11. The applicant must agree to allow the project to be used to promote the Façade Improvement Grant Program and the Main Street Uvalde Program as a downtown revitalization effort.
12. Building owners and business owners agree to have a sign placed in the window of their building during the project and for up to thirty (30) days after the completion of the project to acknowledge the Main Street Uvalde Program. The sign will be provided by the Main Street Uvalde Program.
13. The application may come from the property owner or tenant/business owner. If the application comes from the tenant, the tenant must include a letter from the property owner supporting the application and agreeing to the terms of the grant. The tenant must produce a lease or other documentation showing the term of the lease.
14. The applicant must notify the Main Street Uvalde Manager and the Historical Preservation Board in writing if the applicant makes any changes to the plans submitted with the original application. The manager and the board reserves the right to reconsider the application based on the changes to the original plan.
15. A five (5) year preservation period will be in effect after completion. During this period, alterations to the awarded project that are not approved by the Main Street Manager and the Historical Preservation Board will result in reimbursement to the Main Street Uvalde Program of the awarded funds.
16. The applicant must agree that, in the event of default of its obligations, the Main Street Program has the right to be reimbursed for all attorney’s fees and costs, which may be incurred as a result of any legal action required to seek reimbursement of all grant funding received by the applicant.
17. No applicant has a proprietary right to receive grant funds. The Historical Preservation Board shall consider all applications with discretion.

The Historical Preservation Board will review the grant applications based on criteria including – but not limited to – the following:

• Does the project rehabilitate a historic building?
• What will be the overall improvement of the building?
• What is the general condition of the building? That is, how much of an improvement will the façade grant make to the building?
• Is the project in the designated Main Street area?
• What contribution will the project make to the historic character or aesthetics of the Uvalde downtown/main street area?
• Are the lighting, placement, and design of the proposed signs appropriate to the location?
• Does the plan exhibit professionalism of design?
• If the applicant does not own the building, can the tenant show documentation of a lease and a letter of support for the project from the building owner?
• What is the overall impact on the public, such as public access or visual impacts, and the effect on the gateways to the Uvalde main street/downtown area?