The Facade Improvement Planning Grant

The Facade Improvement Planning Grant Program is administered by the City of Toledo’s Department of Economic Development as part of the broader Vibrancy Initiative. This initiative is focused on revitalizing the city’s built environment, reducing blight, and enhancing community vitality through targeted investments in commercial and mixed-use infrastructure. The planning grant program is intended to provide property owners with the essential tools and guidance needed to assess and envision comprehensive facade enhancements to their properties. Specifically, the program offers 100% funding for a professional facade condition assessment and conceptual design services. These services help property owners understand the feasibility, scope, and potential costs of exterior upgrades to commercial, industrial, or mixed-use buildings. The goal is to build a pipeline of well-prepared applicants for the larger Facade Improvement Grant Program, which typically provides capital funding for implementation of such renovations. Eligible buildings must be located in one of the city’s designated Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs)—including Englewood, Old South End, or Junction—or in any Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI) census tract within the city limits. Properties must contain an active first-floor commercial or industrial business registered with the City of Toledo and must not have any active code violation citations. Ineligible property types include single-family or multi-family residential-only buildings, self-storage facilities, and those occupied by disallowed business types such as pawn shops, adult entertainment venues, firearm dealers, and payday loan operations. Eligible applicants must own the property for which they are applying and be in good standing with various municipal agencies. This includes being current on all property taxes and free of issues with the Division of Taxation, Public Utilities, and Code Enforcement. Business registration with the City is required for any tenant occupying the space. Compliance with these requirements must be confirmed prior to submission, with direct contact numbers for each department provided to assist applicants in verifying their eligibility. The most recent application window ran from January 29 to March 5, 2025. Applications were reviewed by the Incentive Advisory Committee (IAC), an independent panel of eight citizens who evaluate city incentive programs. After scoring applications based on published evaluation criteria, the IAC forwarded top recommendations to the Mayor, who had final authority to approve awards. Though the program is currently closed, property owners are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to receive updates about potential future cycles. The City provides free support to interested applicants through partnerships with local business development organizations. Office hours were offered during the 2025 cycle to help guide applicants through the process. For further assistance, interested parties can contact Cody Brown at [email protected] or call the Department of Economic Development at 419-245-1452.