Program Objective:

The City of Salem’s 2020-2030 Historic Preservation Plan adopted Goal 3: Increase Financial Support to Historic Property Owners. The Historic Features Restoration Grant supports historic property owners by providing financial support to encourage reconstruction of character-defining historic features like parapets, cornices, gables, transom windows or signs and storefronts, and where such reconstruction is essential to the public understanding of the property.

Reconstruction will include measures to preserve any remaining historic materials, features, and spatial relationships. Reconstruction will be based on the accurate duplication of historic features and elements substantiated by documentary or physical evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different features from other historic properties.

Process Overview:

Program Funding:

Grant Funds up to $200,000 (up to $100,000 per application) for fiscal year 2024-25

Application Deadlines:

Interest for Submission: July 31, 2024 – August 16, 2024

Historic Design Review Application Deadline: September 6, 2024

Grant Application Deadline: November 8, 2024

HLC Grant Application Review: December 2024

Award Announcement: January  2025

Completed Projects: June 2025

Submission Process

Interest Form

Submit Missing Historic Features Grant Intent to Apply (interest form) online. Interest forms are due by August 16, 2024. This quick form is submission to determine eligibility for the grant and only gathers a few pieces of information: contact information for the applicant, the property address, and information/proof of the missing historic feature to be replaced or restored.

We use this information to check that you meet the following criteria:

1. The historic building must be Historic Contributing to the Salem Downtown Historic District or individually listed as a historic resource.
2. The historic building must be located within the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Boundary.
3. The historic building must not have outstanding property taxes.
4. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that a character-defining feature on the exterior of the historic building will be restored using historic, physical or photographic evidence.

Staff will evaluate all interest forms after the deadline on August 16 and provide more details about next steps to eligible applicants shortly after.

Historic Design Review

All applications must undergo Historic Design Review as appropriate for their project. More information about historic design review can be found here: Historic Review Rules

Historic Design Review must be submitted for review by September 6, 2024.

Application

Eligible project will be invited to apply and sent the application via email.

 Scoring and Evaluation Process

The Historic Features Restoration Grant program is competitive; therefore, applications are evaluated against stated criteria and against each other. All applications are evaluated independently by the Historic Landmarks Commissioners and City staff. At completion of individual reviews, the HLC and staff will meet to discuss each application and arrive at a final score.

Grant Review Criteria

As federal, state, and local resources become more difficult to obtain, readiness to proceed becomes increasingly important. This application process is designed to ensure selected projects are in the highest possible state of readiness. At the time of grant application submittal applicants must be able to provide confirmation of: 1) financial resources sufficient to pay for project costs in excess of Agency award; and 2) Completed Historic Design Review for the proposed work. Additionally, applications will be evaluated on how well they meet review criteria in the following areas:

Character defining feature summary (50 points)

• How are the form and detailing of the missing historic feature important in defining the historic character of the building?
• What historic, photographic, and/or physical evidence is available for reconstructing the missing historic feature?
• What is the scale of the missing feature in relationship to the size of the building and the historic district?

Community Benefit (25 points)

• How visible is the missing historic feature from the public right-of-way?
• How will restoration of the feature benefit the historic district?

Ability to Complete the Project (25 points)

• What is the proposed methodology and timeline for design and installation of the historic feature?
• What experience does the designer/architect/contractor have to complete a project like this? Please share examples of other historic restoration projects.
• What are the estimated costs to complete the project? What other secured financial resources are in place to pay for the proposed work?

For more information about the program contact Kimberli Fitzgerald at kfitzgerald@cityofsalem.net. For more information about the application process and submittal, contact Zachery Cardoso at zcardoso@cityofsalem.net