Downtown Revitalization Fund
CDBG Programs
Assisting Projects that Revitalize Downtown Areas
The Downtown Revitalization Program (DTR) assists communities with impactful downtown exterior improvement projects that eliminate slum and blight conditions. Projects include primarily front and highly visible side facades of commercial or mixed-use buildings in a traditional downtown setting. All non-entitlement cities, (under 50,000 population) are eligible to apply. Counties may apply on behalf of one or more of their non-entitlement communities.
The maximum grant amount is $650,000. Applicants must address blighted items on a minimum of eight buildings (addresses) to request a grant of $650,000 and a minimum of six buildings (addresses) to request anything less than the maximum. Applications for single buildings are also accepted, but only if they meet the criteria of being an iconic building. Projects that include a single building must demonstrate that the building is central to the development of a downtown area.
Project buildings must be situated within a downtown target area in which at least 25% of all buildings are determined to be in fair or poor condition. Determination of building status is made through individual surveys and documentation (pictures/ descriptions) demonstrating that the building is in fair or poor condition. A local funding match, typically from the city and the participating property owners, is required.”
Who Qualifies?
Must be a City with a population less than 50,000 or a County in order to apply. Individual building owners are not eligible applicants, rather, Cities and/or Counties apply on their behalf.The project must meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Slum and Blight National Objective
- To meet this objective, the application must document the extent or seriousness of deterioration in the area to be assisted, showing a clear adverse effect on the well-being of the area or community and illustrating that the proposed activity will alleviate or eliminate the conditions causing the deterioration
- A comprehensive building survey as well as a city resolution is necessary to meet this national objective
How Do I Apply?
The Downtown Revitalization Fund will be taking new applications from Tuesday, September 5, 2023, through Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
Please watch the Downtown Revitalization Grant Application Workshop webinar recording prior to applying. [YouTube video]
Visit iowagrants.gov for application instructions and to apply for funds.
Downtown Revitalization Fund Award Maps
View a map of communities that have been awarded Downtown Revitalization funding and an outline of the project funded.
To determine the impact of the Downtown Revitalization Program, IEDA worked with Burayidi Consulting to conduct an assessment of the direct, indirect and induced impacts. The full report documenting these impacts is available from the IEDA. This document provides one aspect of the façade improvement impacts, property value change in cities.