Heart of Jasper Announces Round 4 of Facade Grant Program

Jasper- The City of Jasper Façade Grant Program in coordination with Heart of Jasper is a program intended to provide financial assistance for exterior building façade improvements in the Downtown and Riverfront Areas of Jasper, Indiana. 

The goal of the program is to stimulate retail growth and catalyze investment through enhanced aesthetics.

*New in 2024* Sign Reimbursement Project-To create unified signage in the downtown, Heart of Jasper will grant funds towards new or updated signs on the buildings located on the Courthouse Square. The applicants will be awarded 100% of the approved project up to $800. There is no minimum requirement. The sign design must meet the guidelines and be approved by the Heart of Jasper Design Advisory Committee.

The Sign Reimbursement Project will take priority in 2024. Any remaining funds will be used towards Façade Projects. The eligible projects and guidelines remain the same as the previous years. A building or business owner is allowed to apply for funding for both projects: the Sign Reimbursement Project and a Façade Project.

Façade Grants will be awarded for 50% of the approved improvements. The minimum project plan must be over $5,000. The maximum match will be $10,000. In total, the program will provide a maximum of $50,000 in grant funding for the 2024 calendar year.

Grants will be awarded on a reimbursement basis, following an application procedure, design review, approval, and construction. Disbursement is contingent upon submission of cost invoices from contractors and tradesmen and inspection work by the Heart of Jasper Design Advisory Committee. Availability of funding will vary per calendar year. 

The Facade Grant Program is now accepting applications for 2024. The deadline to apply is Thursday February 22nd, 2024. Winners will be announced on Friday March 8th, 2024. Guidelines and criteria to apply can be found online at www.heartofjasper.org. You may also reach out to Kate Schwenk at [email protected].

The Façade Grant Program began in 2021. In the past 3 years, 19 Façade Grant Projects have been completed. In 2023 alone, Heart of Jasper received 11 applications. The total Private Investment for the projects was $339,000. Seven projects were awarded the Façade Grant Funds and the Private Investment for approved projects was $177,000.