Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grants

Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grants provide funding to encourage the revitalization of historic downtown commercial properties in designated Louisiana Main Street districts. The program is administered through Louisiana Main Street within the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation. The grants support community revitalization, economic growth, downtown vitality, and cultural tourism by helping property owners and tenants reinvest in historic commercial buildings using preservation-based rehabilitation practices. The grant is available for eligible historic commercial buildings located within designated Louisiana Main Street districts. Applicants may be property owners or tenants of commercially zoned properties, provided the property was located within the Main Street district as of December 31 of the calendar year preceding the application deadline. Tenants must obtain the property owner's consent. If the applicant is a corporation, a board resolution authorizing the applicant's signature is required, and co-owned properties require authorization from all co-owners. Buildings must generally be at least 50 years old and must contribute to the significance of the local Main Street district, although buildings under 50 years old may be eligible if they meet National Register criteria for exceptional significance. Grant awards range from $2,500 to $10,000 and require a dollar-for-dollar monetary match toward hard construction or restoration costs. In-kind contributions such as design work, sweat equity, equipment, or similar non-cash contributions do not count toward the required match. This is a reimbursement grant, meaning funds are paid only after the approved work is completed, reviewed, and accepted for compliance. Grant funds may only support actual construction or restoration hard costs included in the approved scope of work and performed during the grant agreement term. Eligible work includes exterior improvements that physically, visually, historically, and economically contribute to revitalization of the Main Street district while respecting the historic architectural character of the building and community. Interior improvements are limited to exposing, restoring, or replicating original interior architectural features, or offsetting costs for installing or repairing fire suppression systems in eligible commercial ground-floor spaces or first-time upper-story income-producing residential developments in historically commercial buildings. Eligible work may also include qualifying parapet lighting projects and restoration of historically significant signage or historic theater marquees. New commercial signage, routine maintenance, most roofing, plumbing, electrical work, landscaping, streetscaping, ADA compliance, furniture, fixtures, equipment, promotional materials, and other listed exclusions are not funded. Applications must be submitted online through Submittable; paper applications are not accepted. Applicants must create a free Submittable account and access the Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant through the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development grant page. Required application materials include the application form, grant amount requested, signed statement that funds are in place, applicable owner consent or board/co-owner authorization, Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior work if available, digital photographs, district map, drawings or renderings, scope of work, signed and dated contractor estimates, and a narrative explaining the necessity and impact of the project. Exterior projects must obtain local Historic District Commission review and a Certificate of Appropriateness before grant-funded work begins. Applications are reviewed first by Louisiana Main Street staff for completeness, compliance, and eligibility. Incomplete or non-compliant applications are not considered, and staff may not rewrite or alter submitted applications. Accepted applications are reviewed by a panel of professionals in architecture, construction, preservation, economic development, and related revitalization fields. Award considerations include the level of restoration, effect on the original building design, economic and visual impact on the historic commercial district and Main Street experience, and the availability of state funding appropriated to Louisiana Main Street. Applications are due Friday, May 29, 2026. Recipients are expected to be notified by early September 2026, and grant agreement documents must be signed and returned within two weeks or funds may be reallocated. Work may begin after the grant acceptance letter is signed and returned, and all project scope work must be underway no later than 60 days after signing the grant agreement. Grant-funded project work must be completed by April 30, 2027, and reimbursement requests must be filed by May 28, 2027. Program contacts include Louisiana Main Street at mainstreet@crt.la.gov or 225-342-8162, and Opelousas Main Street at tourism@cityofopelousas.com for local information.

Tell the story visually through photographs and a concise narrative because reviewers may not know the building or community. Ensure the scope of work is complete, itemized, preservation-sensitive, and compliant with the Secretary of the Interior Standards. Allow time for Historic District Commission review for exterior work. Do not begin grant-funded work before award notification and grant agreement execution.