Minnesota Main Streets by Rethos announces applications are now being accepted for the second round of Looking Up Downtown grants.
The Minnesota Main Streets Looking Up Downtown grant program will fund the historic rehabilitation of currently vacant or underutilized upper floors into productive use. Business or building owners within a Minnesota Main Street historic district may apply for up to $75,000 in funding. This competitive grant will fund historic rehabilitation and revitalization of historic buildings located in Minnesota Main Streets districts across the state.
Minnesota Main Streets by Rethos is the Main Street America Coordinating Partner. The Looking Up Downtown grant is being funded by the National Park Service (NPS) Paul Bruhn grant.
To view the application and associated information, click here.
LOOKING UP DOWNTOWN FAQ’S
What is Looking Up Downtown?
The Minnesota Main Streets “Looking Up” program assists owners of historic rural downtown buildings with the rehabilitation of second-story spaces. This is a competitive grant program funded by Rethos through a $700,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service. To read more about the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, click here.
Who can take advantage of Looking Up?
Business or building owners with a building in a rural community with a population of less than 50,000 located within a Minnesota Main Streets historic district may apply for funding.
To qualify, buildings must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Buildings that contribute to a listed historic district are eligible. Properties that are not already listed may be considered if they have a formal Determination of Eligibility from the State Historic Preservation Office and are listed by the end of the grant period.
Please note that gaining historic designation can be an involved and lengthy process. Costs related to designation cannot be covered by this grant, so it is recommended that buildings have designation before applying. Buildings must be at least 50 years old and contribute to the significance of the local Main Street district. Your local Main Street director can help determine whether your building meets this requirement.
How much can I apply for?
Applicants may request up to $75,000. A minimum 10% match is required based on the grant award amount. Matching funds must come from non-Federal sources.
What can I use these funds to do?
Looking Up is a historic preservation program. The focus should be on preserving and rehabilitating existing historic features and spaces. While new fixtures and finishes may be allowed, they must be part of a larger historic preservation scope. Standalone projects focused only on new fixtures, finishes, or general build-out work will not be eligible.
Projects must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation and will be subject to Section 106 Review. Read more about Section 106 Review here.
Examples of eligible uses may include costs related to installing or repairing a fire suppression system or improving ADA accessibility. Other possible uses include electrical work, plumbing, energy efficiency upgrades, paint, millwork, or flooring when they are part of an eligible historic preservation project.
Ineligible uses include new building construction, recreation of historic properties that no longer exist, long-term maintenance beyond the grant period, work completed before the grant is awarded, and exterior work to the building.
What about windows?
Looking Up focuses on rehabilitating interior spaces. Because windows affect the building exterior, window replacement is not eligible. Existing windows may be repaired as needed if the work follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation.
Where are these funds coming from?
The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program is part of the Historic Preservation Fund, an important national funding source for preservation projects, State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and Certified Local Governments.
Rethos, the parent organization of Minnesota Main Streets, received a $700,000 grant to administer the Looking Up Downtown subgrant program for Minnesota Main Streets communities. Read more about Rethos here.
What is a preservation covenant or easement?
Grantees completing development projects are required to place a preservation covenant, easement, or restriction on the entire property to protect the grant-assisted work. These requirements are described more fully here, and an easement example is included in the application as Appendix C.
Regardless of the document name, a 5-year preservation easement will be recorded with the property title and is a required part of the Looking Up Downtown grant. As part of the grant agreement, property owners must agree to maintain the grant-assisted property after project completion in a manner that meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
A draft covenant or easement must be submitted to the National Park Service for review within one calendar year of the date the grant agreement is signed. After all grant-assisted work is complete, the preservation covenant or easement must document the grant-assisted condition of the site and its character-defining features. The covenant or easement must then be executed by registering it with the property deed. A certified copy of the executed covenant or easement must be submitted to the National Park Service before the end of the award period. Rethos will assist with all easement work.
Are there any other ongoing responsibilities after the work is complete?
As part of the public use and public benefit requirements of the grant, all subgrantees will approve Rethos using their space for open house events. These events will be held at least once during the project and once after completion.
Open houses will be open to the public and will help promote the benefits of second-story rehabilitations. Topics may include how to begin a rehabilitation project, available options, business or housing opportunities these projects can create, and the benefits preservation can bring to a community.
When is the deadline to apply?
The grant application deadline is August 2 at 11:45 p.m.
What is the process to apply?
Start by contacting your Main Street director to make sure your project is a good fit. Then register for and attend the upcoming webinar on the Paul Bruhn Looking Up Grant application process.
After gathering your materials, click this link to complete the online application. For a downloadable reference copy of the grant application, visit Minnesota Main Streets | Rethos. Please note that the downloadable file is for reference only. All applications must be completed online.
After the application deadline, the grant review committee will select finalists for approval by the Rethos Board of Directors. Finalists will then be forwarded to the National Park Service for preliminary eligibility review. Selected projects that meet the preliminary technical review requirements will be notified and move into the technical review process.
If any selected projects do not meet the preliminary benchmarks, the grant review board will determine whether another project is ready for preliminary review. Projects that do not receive first-round funding may reapply in the second round.
How will I know if I am a successful applicant?
Rethos will contact all applicants after the selection process and preliminary review. Funded work cannot begin until after the technical review is complete.
What if I need more information?
Contact Minnesota Main Streets Manager Shannon Laing for more information at shannon@rethos.org.
About Rethos
Rethos, formerly the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its board, staff, and partners work nationwide to protect and promote shared community environments and culture.
The Minnesota Main Streets program at Rethos helps cities use their people and built assets to support economic vitality. Minnesota Main Streets is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program and provides local Main Street communities with the training, tools, information, and networking they need to reinvigorate their downtown districts.
Learn more at https://www.rethos.org.
