The City of Ames offers two types of support for improving non-residential buildings in a portion of the Main Street Cultural District (Eligibility Area):

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 1, 2024
• Matching grants of up to $23,000
• Professional design assistance of up to $2,000
• Downtown Urban Revitalization providing abatement of additional property taxes for improvements
  
  

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Downtown Facade Grant Information Meetings

The Ames City Council recently made changes to the Downtown Façade Grant Program by expanding eligibility for exterior maintenance, specifically for exterior walls, foundations, and roofs. Grants for maintenance will be available starting in the spring of 2025.

The City is hosting two meetings to learn more about the upcoming changes:

•  When: 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15
•  Where: Ames Regional Economic Alliance building, 304 Main St.

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Qualifying improvements for either improvement program must follow the Downtown Design Guidelines. One section of the guidelines applies to non-residential buildings that are generally more than 50 years old and were built with the historic retail commercial storefront. Another section of the guidelines applies to all other non-residential buildings in the eligibility area. 

Funding available. If interested, please contact Benjamin Campbell at 515-239-5400
or benjamin.campbell@cityofames.org. 

Further information:

• Application Packet for Downtown Facade Grant
  
  
• Downtown Facade Grant Summary
  
  
• Application Packet for Downtown Urban Revitalization
  
  
• Gallery of Completed Projects
  
  
• Illustrated Summary of Downtown Design Guidelines
  
  
• State Historical Society of Iowa Grants
  
  
• Tax Incentives for Rehabilitation

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