Façade Improvement Grant Program
You must apply before March 6th
The City of Doral could reimburse you up to 50%, with a maximum of $10,000 per property, of the costs associated with the improvement of the façade of your business.
By: Edda Pujadas
DORAL, FL – Same as in previous years, the City of Doral will be opening the application period for the Façade Improvement Grant Program for 2020. This program provides financial assistance to the owners of commercial spaces or businesses, professional offices, and homeowner associations that improve the appearance of their properties.
Maggie Santos, Communications and Protocol Manager for the City of Doral, informed us that the application period for this Grant Program runs from February 3rd to March 6th, 2020.
Santos explained that the City of Doral offers this program in order to promote the private sector investment, the beautification of our city, economic growth, and even the creation of jobs that are related to construction and maintenance. “When we improve the appearance of the buildings, we are also improving the appearance of our city.”
Through the Façade Improvement Grant Program, the homeowner associations, entrepreneurs, and business owners will be receiving assistance in the financing of the improvements of their real estate. It is expected that Doral has a well-maintained and in pristine condition infrastructure, that its businesses show a nice presence, nice places, and a nice-looking façade, all in tune with our environment and that through this they also incentivize the customers to come in.
The City of Doral will provide financial assistance in the form of a reimbursement, by contributing with 50% of the investment costs for maintenance and improvements and up to a maximum of $10,000 per property. For the effects of this program, “façade” will be defined as the “face” of a building that runs in parallel to the public or private streets or to any of the outside improvements of the building: walls, fences, disability infrastructures or ADA structures, pedestrian facilities, windows or walls, roofs or marquees, lighting, painting, signaling, sidewalks, parking lots or landscape in general.
This program is available to be used for the renovation of all the commercial structures or homeowner association entrances that are visible publicly within the City of Doral.
While reviewing the requirements to apply to this Façade Improvement Grant Program, the first thing that you need to take into consideration is that applying to the program is in no way an application to build or renew, this has to be requested separately from this process.
All the applying entities must be located in the City of Doral and must present a complete application that includes all the documentation that is requested; it should also include estimates from three licensed contractors for each improvement presented. Proof that the company has been in operation for the last year, you must show a license, state corporation information, tax returns, or any invoice for public services.
You must include a receipt showing that the local commercial tax has been paid, a printed copy showing that your company is active in the State of Florida together with a picture of the façade of the building where the location of the company can be seen. You must include drawings of the proposed improvement project, signed by a licensed professional. It is also very important to include a photocopy of the official I.D. of the owner of the building and to have a legal, physical address, P.O. Boxes are not allowed as the official address of the building.
In the case of homeowner associations, the only ones eligible to apply to this program are the ones with entrances that can be seen from the street. This application has to be presented by the homeowner association, and it must include a letter showing that the Board of Directors of such an organization has already approved the project.
There are certain conditions that will trigger an automatic disqualification, for example, those businesses that move outside the city during the process, those with pending debts or liens that have not been resolved, an active violation with the City of Doral can also trigger this. In order to qualify, the improvements or construction must not have started prior to being approved for this program, and the applications must be presented to the city within the time frame that is announced, only.
To proceed with the application process, you need to request a meeting with the representatives of the City of Doral, schedule a meeting with the Director of Economic Development, Manuel Pila at Manuel.Pila@cityofdoral.com. The application will be reviewed by the Economic Development department and will be graded by a committee designated by the City Manager.
Once the application is reviewed, it is possible that additional documents being requested. The applicant will be notified of the approval or denial of this application in writing. In case the application is approved, you must obtain all the construction permits required, the permit from the Building Department, and from all the authorities that might have jurisdiction in the improvements, as well as pay all the appropriate fees.
Participants must submit a final payment request to the Economic Development department; this must include the expenses of the façade improvement project, the applicable building permits and the final inspection documentation showing it passed inspection, this in order to be reimbursed. Funds will be issued when the improvements are completed according to this Agreement.
Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk of the City of Doral. For more information, you can write at cityclerk@cityofdoral.com, or call 305.593.6730. You can also reach the Economic Development department at manuel.pila@cityofdoral.com and via phone at 305.593.6725, extension: 7016