Renovating a historic commercial building is no easy task, but the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority (YDDA) is working to make it more manageable to do so in their district. The organization has recently announced that $30,000 will be made available through their YDDA Building Rehabilitation Program.
"This is an opportunity for a businesses to expand or come into a space or to leverage funds to increase their property value," says YDDA Director Tim Colbeck.
The funds are eligible to cover up to 50 percent of the cost to rehabilitate buildings within the YDDA district. Qualifying projects include ADA accessibility construction, fire suppression upgrades, or other tasks involved in bringing buildings up to code inside the YDDA district, which includes properties in downtown, Depot Town and the W. Cross St. District.
"It's not for a coat of paint," says Colbeck. "It has to be something that will take a building that is in a state of disrepair and bring it up to code. It's not just cosmetic stuff in the interior."
The YDDA Building Rehabilitation Program is now in its fourth round of grants. This round will differ from the prior three in that, rather than accepting applications until a particular deadline, grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. The $30,000 available through the program is funded by the YDDA and the Washtenaw County Economic Development & Energy Department. Applications are available on the
YDDA's website.
Source: Tim Colbeck, Ypsilanti DDA
Writer: Natalie Burg, Development News Editor
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