Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants

The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) offers Planning Grants designed to assist counties in developing comprehensive construction plans and specifications for full courthouse restoration projects. The core mission of this grant aligns with historic preservation efforts, aiming to restore these significant structures to their original historic period while simultaneously ensuring they meet contemporary standards for safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency. This dual focus ensures that the historical integrity of the courthouses is maintained while also making them functional and compliant with modern requirements, reflecting a broader strategic priority of sustainable preservation. The primary beneficiaries of the THCPP Planning Grants are Texas counties that possess historic courthouses in need of restoration. The immediate impact goal is to provide these counties with the necessary documentation—specifically, 95% complete construction plans and specifications—to advance their restoration initiatives. By achieving this, the program facilitates a crucial preparatory step, allowing counties to become "shovel ready" and significantly increasing their eligibility and competitiveness for future restoration funding. This directly supports the foundation's theory of change by removing a key barrier to large-scale preservation projects: the lack of detailed, professional planning. The program's priorities are clearly focused on the meticulous planning and preparation phase of courthouse restoration. This involves ensuring that the generated construction plans and specifications are not only historically accurate but also incorporate current standards for safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency. A key focus is to equip counties with high-quality documents that will serve as a strong foundation for future funding applications, with the incentive of gaining up to 10 additional points for being "shovel ready." This strategic emphasis on preparedness and quality planning underpins the program's approach to maximizing preservation outcomes. The expected outcomes of the THCPP Planning Grants are multi-faceted. Firstly, counties will produce detailed construction plans and specifications that are 95% complete, which is a measurable result indicating the readiness for full-scale restoration. Secondly, these documents will enable eligible counties to apply for subsequent restoration funding cycles, with the program anticipating a higher success rate for counties with approved plans. The ultimate, long-term impact goal is the successful restoration of historic courthouses across Texas, ensuring their continued use and appreciation while meeting modern demands. This contributes to the foundation's overarching strategic priority of preserving cultural heritage and ensuring the longevity of these important public buildings.