The City of Larchwood has established a program to rehabilitate Store Fronts for Businesses. We believe tht first impressions really do count, what your potential customers see when they look at your business from the street can make or break your relationship with them. The goal of this program is to improve the physical appearance and assist in revitalizing the downtown area of our community. In the future, one’s first impression of Larchwood, Iowa will be of an attractive small town filled with great people, businesses, recreation, activities and historical buildings that will both keep people in the community and draw people to the community. Downtown will be a source of pride and identity with a historic appearance featuring vintage lights and restored storefronts. The community’s downtown location will bring people to shop and support local businesses. Revitalization will promote community pride and greater involvement by all ages. Larchwood’s friendly, small town atmosphere will blend our historical past with a lifestyle of the 21st century.
Eligible Properties: Commercial property owners are eligible for the matching grant program.
- Facade brick or wall surface cleaning
- Patching and painting of facade walls
- Signage or lighting replacement/repair
- Canopy, porch, awning installation/repair
- Window and/or door replacement/repair
- Facade mortar joint repair (tuck-pointing)
- Railing and ironwork repair or addition
- Cornice repair and/or replacement
- Replacemetn/repair to exterior steps
All improvement projects seeking incentive funding must conform to existing building codes and regulations of the City of Larchwood.
- All applications must be submitted to the Larchwood City Council
- All applications must include sketches, architectural drawings and/or explanations of proposed work as well as cost estimates or construction bids.
- Applicants will be notified in writing of the decision of the application within 60 days of receipt of a fully-completed application. Any amendments, additions, deletions, or other changes to the original application must be approved by the Larchwood City Council in order to assure the grant funds will be awarded. Once the application is approved, the property is eligible for reimbursement according to the application submitted for up to one year. After one year from the application approval letter, the reimbursement will no longer be applicable and a new application must be submitted for reimbursement.
- All grants are awarded on a reimbursement-only basis. Copies of invoices AND paid receipts, cancelled checks, or proof of expenditures must be submitted within thirty working days of project completion. Following satisfactory site inspection of the completed project by the City Council, payment of the grant to the applicant will be authorized. If the site inspection is not satisfactory, the applicant will be notified and allowed up to sixty working days for correction of unsatisfactory items.
- Projects that started prior to submitting an application are not eligible.