2009 funds have been encumbered. 2010 program information will be available in December 2009. 

Historic Façade Easement Program

This program promotes the City’s goals of downtown revitalization and historic preservation. The program is designed to enhance historic building renovation projects by providing resources to assist in restoring the original exterior appearance of the building(s). Through the program, the City purchases the facade of the building, and the property owner or developer devotes the purchase price to the restoration of the historic structure’s original exterior appearance.

Program Objectives

• Stimulate new investment in downtown historic buildings to increase the property value and the economic potential of the participating properties.
• Support and expand the economic revitalization of the commercial area historic districts.
• Improve/upgrade vacant or underutilized historic buildings to accommodate new uses.
• Enhance the unique aesthetic appeal of downtown related to its historic architecture by encouraging the rehabilitation of certified historic structures.
• Encourage the removal or reversal or inappropriate contemporary exterior alterations to historic buildings, and the appropriate replication of missing historic building features.
• Protect the National Register status of the downtown historic districts by strengthening the historic integrity of contributing historic district buildings.
• Ensure the perpetual preservation of the architectural character of historically significant buildings.

Program Requirements

• Buildings must have official designation as historic structures to be eligible for the program. Buildings more than 70 years old that are deemed eligible for National Register listing may be considered if a complete National Register Nomination form can be submitted prior to acceptance into the Façade Easement program.
• Participating projects must be properties located within the Central Business District.
• A detailed scope of work defining proposed improvements, both interior and exterior, shall be submitted to the City for review and approval prior to initiating façade rehabilitation.
• The maximum payment for a façade easement involving a single building shall not exceed $100,000. Payment shall be on a cost reimbursement basis for exterior improvements. Deferred maintenance (such as mortar repointing), A/E fees and estimated contingency costs are ineligible for reimbursement.
• The purchase price of the façade easement shall not exceed 10 percent of the building’s market value, as established by a certified MAI appraiser. Façade value shall be based on the post-rehab value of the structure.
• Funds shall not be released until the construction of the improvements have been fully completed and approved, and the easement has been conveyed to the City.
• The character defining façade of completed projects shall be in full repair and restored to the substantially same appearance as the façade’s original design. The City will purchase only one façade of the building(s) selected for the Façade Easement program.
• All exterior work must comply with historic preservation standards endorsed by the Sioux Falls Board of Preservation.

Criteria for Evaluation & Selection of Competing Projects

1. Economic Revitalization Potential
2. Land Use
3. Project Feasibility
4. Historic Merit
5. Location

Application Process

• Applications are accepted on an annual basis. Applications must be submitted to the Planning Division of the City Planning & Building Services Department by 5:00 pm on Friday, January 16, 2009 to be eligible for 2009 project funding.
• Application submittals shall include, at minimum, floor plans, building elevations, historic photos of the building, a project budget and a detailed description of proposed exterior changes. Colors, materials, dimensions, and other related specifications shall be provided upon request.
• The Sioux Falls Board of Preservation will review the proposals to determine the relative degree of historic significance of the structure(s) involved in each proposal. The Board will rank the proposals based on the degree of historic significance. The Board will review the plans and proposed improvements of each project to determine the overall consistency of the project with historic preservation principles. The Board will also evaluate the scope of historic preservation activities of each project in order to compare the relative amount of preservation effort involved in the proposals. The Board will prepare project selection recommendation(s) based on the historic preservation benefits of the proposals for consideration by the City’s Downtown Historic Revitalization Project Selection Committee
• The Selection Committee shall review applications for compliance with the Program Objectives and Program Requirements. The Committee will present recommendation(s) for project selection to the Mayor in March of the program year. In reviewing and recommending projects in a competitive selection process, the Committee shall give the degree of potential economic enhancement the greatest consideration, followed by the type of land use proposed. In all matters where the historic nature and significance of the project are concerned, the Selection Committee shall rely on the input of the Sioux Falls Board of Preservation.

For more information contact the Sioux Falls Planning Department.