Please note this program is currently unavailable

Facade Grant Program Encourages Downtown Reinvestment

A new program aimed at generating property rehabilitation and jobs in the downtown area has been created by the City of Tyler.

Officially known as the Commercial Exterior Grant Program (CEGP), the program is designed to encourage physical improvements and commercial revitalization in the designated Downtown Business, Arts and Culture (DBAC) district and Main Street program area, which generally includes buildings and land from Front to Gentry, Palace to Beckham.

The program provides grants in the form of five-year, forgivable loans to businesses or owners of income-producing property in the DBAC area. The five-year term was established to encourage business owners to commit to remaining in their buildings for at least five years. Grants will be for a maximum of $10,000, with a minimum of $1,000.

The source of the funding is the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eligible projects include façade renovation, awning installation, exterior painting, outdoor lighting, landscaping, parking lot improvements and signage.

Technical assistance in the form of project planning, consultations regarding Federal tax credits and more are also included in the program.

Property or business owners must provide leverage in the form of 50% of the total project cost. Projects should create or retain at least one job that benefits a low- to moderate-income person.

Applications for the program will be reviewed by a CEGP committee comprised of representatives of Heart of Tyler, the City of Tyler, TEDC and others. In addition to meeting basic eligibility requirements, applications will be reviewed for potential to diversify the economy, effect on other businesses, consistency with local redevelopment strategies and downtown design standards, business plan, job impacts and other criteria.

Those interested in further information about the program should contact the City of Tyler Main Street office at (903) 593-6905 or the City of Tyler Neighborhood Services office at (903) 531-1303.

View Commercial Exterior Grant Program Manual

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer