Facade Improvement Program

The Facade Improvement Program is administered by the Windsor Downtown Alliance, a Downtown Development Authority serving downtown Windsor, Colorado. The Windsor Downtown Alliance states that its mission is to create a prosperous, vibrant, energetic, and clean town center by marketing downtown opportunities, retaining and expanding business opportunities, preserving downtown charm, and enhancing the physical appearance and amenities of downtown through partnerships with the community and stakeholders. The program is intended to encourage property owners within the Windsor Downtown Alliance district to renovate eligible building facades and thereby improve the downtown environment. The Board of Directors has authorized $100,000 for the program. The current program webpage states that assistance reimburses 25 percent of exterior improvement costs, up to $20,000 per building face on a right of way. Funding decisions are made at the discretion of the Windsor Downtown Alliance Board and proposals are evaluated case by case. Program funding may be used only for eligible facades that front a public right-of-way, such as a street or alley. The program is intended to support facade features that further Windsor Downtown Alliance goals and may include exterior improvements such as awnings, lights, signs or other exterior amenities; preservation or rehabilitation of historic exteriors; elimination of blighted conditions; removal of non-historic features; restoration of brickwork, wood, masonry, stucco or siding; repair or replacement of windows and doors; architectural details; and entryway or awning improvements. The detailed program policies state that Windsor Downtown Alliance investment may not pay for soft costs such as architectural, structural, electrical or mechanical design fees, construction site amenities, surveying and staking, traffic controls, profit and overhead, interior work, taxes, permits or insurance. Funds are not released until construction is 100 percent complete and all program funding requirements have been satisfied. Eligible applicants are property owners within the Windsor Downtown Alliance district seeking improvements to qualifying building facades. Funding is limited to eligible facades fronting a public right-of-way. Before applying, an applicant must meet with Windsor Downtown Alliance staff at least three weeks before the Board meeting at which the project will be reviewed. The applicant must also meet with Town of Windsor staff to determine the Town approval process for the proposed renovation. Depending on the property and project, this process may include site plan approval and review or approval by the Historic Preservation Commission. Historic buildings designated as a Local Landmark or listed on a State or National Register must receive Historic Preservation Commission approval for proposed facade changes before being scheduled for Board evaluation. The application package includes a completed application; a narrative containing a brief history of the site or building, description of the proposed work, responses explaining how the project meets each evaluation criterion, and the amount of funding requested; current photographs and historic photographs when applicable; color facade elevation drawings with proposed materials identified and prepared by a licensed professional architect; and a detailed cost breakdown prepared by the design architect and/or contractor. After Windsor Downtown Alliance staff determines that the proposal is complete, staff schedules the project for an upcoming Board meeting. A digital PDF copy of the final submission must be provided no later than two weeks before the scheduled Board meeting for inclusion in the Board packet. The project owner or an authorized representative must also make a brief 5 to 10 minute presentation to the Board highlighting the project in the context of the downtown environment. Projects are evaluated for quality and authenticity of materials, pedestrian-friendly street presence, timeless design, treatment of historic building fabric and surrounding context, green building principles, deconstruction practices that minimize construction and demolition waste, location, use, and consistency with the Windsor Downtown Alliance mission and Plan of Development. The program specifically emphasizes high-quality, long-lasting materials and does not consider faux stone, stone veneer, or EIFS to be quality materials. Designs should create an appropriate pedestrian-scale street presence and should avoid blank walls, minimal variation, and minimal articulation. Green building practices that exceed minimum adopted codes are encouraged when applicable. The Windsor Downtown Alliance Board generally meets on the third Wednesday of each month, and the source does not establish a single annual application closing date. Upon Board approval, a funding commitment remains valid for one calendar year from the approval date. The owner and Windsor Downtown Alliance staff complete the steps necessary for funding, including a Project Commitment and, following project completion and satisfaction of program requirements, a Facade Agreement and Grant of Easement for Facades. Easement terms depend on the amount of Windsor Downtown Alliance funding and range from 5 to 20 years. An owner or authorized representative may request one 12-month extension, provided the request is made before the original commitment expires and at least 30 days before a regular Board meeting. The program webpage directs interested applicants to complete the available application and provides a telephone number of 970-451-6695 for more information or submission of a request. The Windsor Downtown Alliance website footer also lists info@WindsorDDA.Com and 970-451-6995 as general organizational contact information. The sources identify Hearth and Spokes as two recent facade improvement projects. The separately supplied Facade Improvement Mini Grant Program is a distinct small-project program with different award and match terms and therefore its $3,500 ceiling and 25 percent applicant match are not used as funding terms for this primary Facade Improvement Program entry.

Use real or authentic, high-quality, long-lasting materials; create a pedestrian-friendly street presence with substantial first-floor windows; use timeless design rather than unauthentic historic imitation; address historic preservation approvals where applicable; incorporate green building practices when possible; document deconstruction methods that minimize landfill waste; demonstrate how project location and use advance WDA goals; show consistency with the WDA mission and Plan of Development