Application Deadline Approaching for Historic Rehabilitation Funding

Application Deadline Approaching for Historic Rehabilitation Funding

The deadline is approaching to apply for a new Historic Rehabilitation Program, which helps fund restoration projects for property in the City’s Local Historic Districts and Landmarks.

Property owners have the opportunity to receive up to 50 percent of the total amount of eligible project costs (up to $5,000) on home restoration or maintenance work that seeks to preserve and restore Cedar Rapids’ historic properties. After February 1, 2017, the funding becomes “first-come, first-served” until funds are no longer available.

Only property in the City’s Local Historic Districts and Landmarks are available for the program, which includes 2nd and 3rd Avenues SE; and Grande Ave and Park Avenue SE in the Wellington Heights area. A map of the City’s Local Historic Districts and Landmarks is available online at http://bit.ly/2iDzxqQ.

Funding would be made available as either a grant or zero-interest loan, depending on household income. Improvement projects would also have to be consistent with the Cedar Rapids Guidelines for Historic Districts and be approved by the City’s Historic Preservation Commission.

Examples of restoration work eligible for funding include: historic window repair, wood door refinishing, painting of wood or stucco exteriors, front porch repair, exterior chimney repair, and recreation or maintenance of ornamentation and architectural features of historical significance.

“This program can help offset part of the financial gap local homeowners are faced with as they seek to maintain or restore their properties and retain our community’s historic significance,” says City Planner Jeff Hintz, staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission.

For a full list of program guidelines, eligible projects, and an application, please visit: http://bit.ly/2iDzxqQ.