The Downtown Façade Improvement Revolving Loan Fund is designed to improve the overall appearance of Downtown Atchison and the Riverfront area by providing an incentive for small businesses to invest or reinvest in their property.
The program provides 0% interest loans, up to $20,000 per property, for building façade improvements. Loans are amortized over a period of up to five and seven years based on the amount borrowed. To qualify for consideration, the project must result in visible improvement of the overall façade (e.g. not just sign replacement or minor roof repair). Any owner of a building located within the target area (Missouri River to 10th Street, railroad tracks to Santa Fe Street) may apply.
Photo above from McDaniel Photography
IMPORTANT: Please check with the City before starting any demolition or construction work. Most projects will require building permits, and in some cases, your project will need approval from the Planning Commission and/or Board of Zoning Appeals.
What types of improvements are eligible?
Permanent exterior improvements on commercial or mixed use buildings. Façades must be visible from a public right-of-way. Eligible improvements include the following:
- Masonry repairs and tuck pointing
- Repair/replace/preserve historically significant architectural details
- Storefront reconstruction back to original basis
- Cornice repair
- Power washing
- Exterior painting and stucco
- Awnings and canopies
- Window and door repair or replacement
- Permanent exterior signage integrated into the storefront design
- Exterior lighting
- Repair/replacement of gutters and down spouts
- Façade building code items
- Visible roof repairs
- Non-visible roof repairs in conjunction with a visible façade improvement
- Architectural, engineering, or design fees
What items are not eligible?
Generally, the following items are not eligible:
- Non-visible roofing not in conjunction with a visible façade improvement
- Attached, hanging, or projecting signs unrelated to the architecture of the building
- Mechanical equipment enclosures (non-visible)
- Parking lots
- Interior renovation
- Temporary, portable or non-permanent improvements
- Façades not visible from a public right-of-way
- New construction
- Property acquisition
- Expansion of building area
- Conversion of use
- Working capital
- Refinance of existing debt
- Improvements in progress or completed prior to loan/grant approval
- Loans for speculative purposes
District Boundaries