City of New Bedford Enhanced Facade Improvement Program

Eligible Applicants

Additional Requirements

All improvements must comply with City building and zoning standards. All proposed improvements will be subject to a historical review to ensure that the architecture features are preserved to the greatest extent possible. The owner of the building must be the applicant to the program. Commercial tenants wishing to participate must do so through the property owner. Building owners may submit separate applications for each tenant, but duplicative costs are not allowed, and matching funds will also be treated separately. Most businesses located in Qualified Census Tracts are eligible. Businesses not located in Qualified Census Tracts must be a “disproportionately impacted” business, per the ARPA Final Rule, which in Massachusetts includes businesses in the following industries: Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation; Accommodation & Food Services; and Personal Care Services. Businesses outside of the Qualified Census Tracts and not in a disproportionately impacted industry are not eligible for funding. The owner/applicant must have no outstanding city taxes, fees, or other assessments due to the City of New Bedford. The building must contain commercial, office, or service-oriented space or vacant space available for commercial use. No chain franchises or chain businesses are eligible for this program. Eligible improvements are limited to the building façade as defined above. Participants must comply with all state and local laws and regulations pertaining to licensing and permits. Commercial properties must comply with state and local code requirements. For buildings with a ground/first floor used for commercial purposes or return of previous ground/first floor commercial properties back to commercial use. The Office of Housing and Community Development reserves the right to make the final determination as to the appropriateness, suitability, and design of the improvements. Further, the OHCD reserves the right to make the final determination as to whether work was carried out according to approved designs and specifications. For more information, visit City of New Bedford.

Geographic Eligibility

All