Facade Rebate Program

Overview

The City of East Chicago has undertaken an ambitious renewal plan in an effort to revitalize its business districts.  The appearance of commercial structures factor heavily into the success of the City's business districts.  While many areas of the City were formerly distinguished by their architectural charm and pedestrian scale, many of these existing structures have unmet maintenance needs that are hastening the decline of their facades.

Goal

The East Chicago Façade Grant Program seeks to address these maintenance and rehabilitation needs of building facades in specific sections of the North Harbor Business District by offering 80/20 and a City-Wide by offering 50/50 matching grants to interested, qualified building owners. 

The Mayor and City Council believe this program is in the public interest and that the City has a responsibility to preserve and protect the unique local resources found in the City.  The Mayor and City Council also believe that by investing public resources in the downtown and commercial sector, more private entities will find our City to be an attractive place to invest.

Eligibility

Landlords with business owners who are commercial tenants with at least a two-year leasehold may apply for funds. However, commercial tenants cannot initiate an application without the express written permission of the building owner and the owner’s approval of the project described in the application.

Please refer to East Chicago City Council Resolution Number 13-0014 Section IV for specifics and details about eligible participants. The Department of Planning and Economic Development (DPED) and Economic Development Commission (EDC) will administer the program.

Apply

The City offers two facade programs, one for the North Harbor and one for the City-wide. To apply please download the  North Harbor Facade Grant Application Complete Packet or the City-Wide Facade Grant Application Complete Packet

NOTE: THE PROCESSING OF ANY APPLICATION APPROVALS WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL A RESOLUTION HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE EAST CHICAGO COMMON COUNCIL AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR THE APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED.  THE DEADLINE TO ACCEPT ANY CITY-WIDE OR NORTH HARBOR FACADE APPLICATIONS FOR THE YEAR WILL END AT 4:00 P.M. CST THE LAST BUSINESS DAY IN SEPTEMBER.