Downtown Incentive Community Improvement Plan Program Form

If the applicant is not the property owner, please ensure that the required authorization is completed and signed by the property owner as provided in the section titled Authorization of Owner.

Before completing the Financial Incentive Program application form, the applicant should contact the Economic Development and Tourism division, to conduct a pre-consultation meeting. The proposed project will be discussed in relation to the Downtown Financial Incentive programs. In this meeting we can discuss and confirm application requirements, program eligibility, proposed scope of work, project timing, supporting documentation requirements, etc

In order to determine the suitability of the Heritage Improvement Grant Program, prior to submitting an application and approval by the County, applicants will be required to participate in a consultation meeting with the County’s Heritage and Culture Division. The purpose of the consultation meeting will be to identify and obtain guidance on community improvement works that will protect, restore, or enhance the heritage features of a property. An application for an incentive that is offered by the Heritage Improvement Grant Program will not be considered in combination with an application for an incentive that is offered by the Façade Improvement Grant Program.

Prior to approval by the County, applications for the Façade Improvement Grant Program will be subject to review by the County’s Heritage and Culture Division. Should the property be listed or otherwise identified by the County’s Heritage and Culture Division, or if heritage features are identified by the County’s Heritage and Culture Division, the application may be refused and the applicant may alternatively be required to apply for the Heritage Improvement Grant Program. An application for the same community work that is offered by the Façade Improvement Grant Program will not be considered in combination with an application for an incentive that is offered by the Heritage Improvement Grant Program. For example, for a project to use both the heritage improvement and façade improvement, two different pieces of work would have to be done – the bricks could be resurfaced using an alternative to sandblasting (sandblasting brick projects will not be considered because of their danger to brick structure), and then the property owner could apply to also have the signage changed in front of the building to gain access to both of these options.

Program eligibility is limited to: the conversion of vacant, residential, or underutilized space to use as: a restaurant, market or Place of Assembly related to arts, culture, and/or recreation OR Rehabilitation of existing, or conversion of space for Commercial Roofed Accommodations within the Downtown Areas Community Improvement Project Areas.

Scale of Community Improvement

Applicants may be required to submit the following at the time of the submission of this application. Submission requirements will be confirmed with the applicant by the CIP Review Panel at the time of the pre-submission consultation meeting. a) A site plan and/or professional design study/architectural drawings; and/or b) Specification of the proposed works, including a work plan for the improvements and construction drawings.

If you are a property owner who is considering improvements and you are contemplating doing non-electrical/mechanical work yourself (i.e. Sanding, painting), costs related to supplies are eligible under the heritage and façade improvement programs.

In order for an application to be considered complete, the application must be accompanied by all of the supporting material required by the County’s Downtown Areas Community Improvement Plan Review Panel, which may include but is not limited to:  Photographs of the existing building condition;  Historical photographs and/or drawings;  A site plan and/or professional design study/architectural drawings;  Specification of the proposed works, including a work plan for the improvements and construction drawings; and  Two cost estimates for eligible work provided by licensed contractors or material costs.

Submission requirements will be confirmed with the applicant by the CIP Review Panel at the time of the pre-submission consultation meeting. If additional supporting material or documentation is required, or becomes necessary during the processing of this application, the applicant will be contacted and informed prior to this application proceeding.

For the purposes of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I authorize and consent to the use by or the disclosure to any person or public body any information that is collected under the authority of the Planning Act for the purposes of processing this application.

If the applicant is not the owner of the land that is the subject of this application, the authorization set out below must be completed by the owner. All of the above statements and the statements contained in all of the exhibits transmitted herewith are true and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath. I have read and understand all of the rules set out in this application form. All of the above statements and statements contained in all of the exhibits transmitted herewith are true.