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Downtown West Allis
Business
Improvement
District
COMMERCIAL FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Program Objectives: The Downtown
West Allis, Inc.’s Commercial Façade
Improvement Program provides financial
incentives to building owners and
merchants in the target area to
encourage them to undertake improvements
to the exteriors of their buildings
which will:
- Enhance the historic
architecture
- Complement the surrounding
architecture and provide a unifying
theme or visual identity for the
commercial area, whether it be the
front or the rear of the building.
- Eliminate exterior appurtenances
which are out of scale or out of
character with the building and the
surrounding architecture (e.g. gaudy
oversized signage which obstructs
the building as well as the signage
on neighboring buildings).
- Create an overall image of high
quality merchandise and services.
Target Area: The target area for
this program is contiguous with the
boundaries of the
Downtown West Allis Business Improvement
District (DWA-BID) (see map below).
Type of subsidy: Grants to
reimburse property owners/merchants up to
50% of building façade improvements
that have been approved by the Downtown
West Allis, Inc.’s Board of Directors.
Owner occupants, tenant occupants and
absentee owners are eligible to
participate; however, tenant occupants
must furnish evidence that the proposed
improvements have been authorized by the
building owner.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
- Any building that is located
within the BID boundaries and have
not received funds from this program
within the last two years is
eligible to apply.
- All quotes must abide by the
“Davis-Bacon Act.”
- The Davis–Bacon Act is a
United States federal law which
established the requirement for
paying prevailing wages on
public works projects. All gifts
where funding is awarded through
the CDBG (Community Block Grant
Funds) and where cost of the
construction is over $2,000,
must include provisions for
paying workers on-site no less
than the locally prevailing
wages and benefits paid on
similar projects.
- All grant funds must be spent
within six (6) months of receiving a
confirmation letter from Downtown
West Allis BID office.
- Funds are disbursed as a
reimbursement to the applicant upon
receipt of invoices and copies of
receipts for approved budget items.
- Items such as permit fees are
NOT ELIGIBLE for funding.
HOW TO APPLY:
- Facade Assistance requests must
be in writing, and fulfilling all
application requirements. (See
above)
- Signage applications must be
submitted by the 2nd Friday of each
month.
- Grant requests must be approved
by the Board of Directors of the
Downtown West Allis, Inc., based
upon recommendation from the Design
Committee of the BID.
SPECIAL NOTICE:
- Any and all property alterations
must conform to the Architecture
Standards, Design Standards and
Signage Code (available at the BID
office) developed by the BID and the
City of West Allis. The business
must furnish documentation of a
valid occupancy permit before the
grant is disbursed.
- All appropriate permits must be
obtained prior to the disbursement
of funds.
- All grants will be limited by
the amount of money remaining in the
CDBG Funds and/or the Annual
Operating Budget for this purpose.
- Disbursement of funds/ payments
will be made following submission of
a Certification of Inspection form &
a copy of invoicing /payments.
Application Form (PDF)
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