Façade Improvement Grant

The City of Liberal offers businesses assistance in the form of 50/50 matching grant money for commercial businesses and property owners located within Liberal's city limits to improve their building façade and overall appearance. Grant funding is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis until the available dollars are depleted.

Program Eligibility

A maximum grant for a qualifying project is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and must be matched dollar for dollar (50/50) by the building owner or business. 

Financial assistance is provided for permanent building and site improvements only.  Examples of permanent improvement include:  life safety and accessibility improvements required by code, parking lot, sidewalks, façade rehabilitation, and repair/replacement of windows or doors.

Residential, municipal, state, federal, not-for-profit, and church properties are not eligible.  

Mixed-use buildings are eligible if the first floor is commercial in nature.

Façade grants cannot be used to pay off or refinance existing debt; pay salaries or applicant’s officers or employees; pay for the purchase or down payment for real estate; or pay income, real estate, taxes, or other assessments.

Properties must meet all applicable building, life safety, and zoning and maintenance codes upon project completion. 

Applicants must not have outstanding taxes, fees, or other debts owed to the City.

Applicants must  have a legal interest in the property site to submit an application for grant funding. Building tenants who do not own a property must provide written permission from the legal property owner to make proposed improvements. 

Program Requirements

An application for grant assistance must be approved by the Grant Director prior to beginning improvements.

Applicants must obtain required building permits and/or historic reviews prior to beginning any improvements.

Grants are paid on a reimbursement basis only.

Projects must be completed within 12 months of grant approval to receive reimbursement.

As a condition of the grant, the City may provide a building inspection team to determine the most urgent building needs. This inspection report will be considered part of the grant application.  Previous Fire Department inspection reports will also be considered.

Façade Grant Process

The process for façade grants involves the following steps:

• Meet with the City of Liberal's Grant Director to determine whether a proposed project is eligible.
• Submit a completed application with all required attachments to the Grant Director. Please include 8 ½ x 11 copies of all drawings.  Copies of attachments and drawings, which are needed to secure a building permit from the City, are also acceptable.
• Applications are reviewed to determine eligibility and the amount of grant assistance allowed within 21 business days of the submission of all required information. The Grant Director may request additional information if it considers the information supplied by the applicant to be insufficient. Upon the submission of all required information, the applicant may be contacted to schedule a tour of the project site and building. City inspection staff may be invited to come on the tour of the building.
• Upon project completion (must be within 12 months of the grant approval date), grant recipients must schedule a follow-up tour and submit actual project cost information, including copies of itemized invoices, receipts, and such other documentation as required by the grant agreement.
• Upon receipt of evidence documenting actual project costs, the City shall have 30 days to confirm that such project costs were so incurred. Within 30 days after all the requirements set forth are met, the City shall issue a check for reimbursement of the costs incurred, up to the amount awarded.

Submit an Application

For more information or to complete an application, please contact the Grants Director at (620) 626-2251 or email karen.lafreniere@cityofliberal.org. Grant funds are limited and applications are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.