AGENDA DATE: 5/18/2022
TITLE:
Title
Building Reuse Grant Policy
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Request Board support for a Building Reuse Grant to be administered by the Economic Development Authority
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Hudson, DeLoria, Johnson, Newberry, Perry
PRESENTER (S): Roger Johnson, J.T. Newberry
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors and Economic Development Authority (EDA) held their last joint meeting on October 19, 2021. At that meeting, both bodies expressed support for creating a Building Reuse Grant to assist growing businesses that could not find suitable commercial or industrial space within the County and to adaptively reuse existing buildings in the development area. Each body recognized that the limited supply of commercial and industrial space creates a barrier to economic vitality and undermines the goals of Project ENABLE, the County's Economic Development Strategic Plan. This grant would encourage and support businesses or property owners making capital investments to previously vacant commercial or industrial space to make business expansion in the County possible. Staff was directed to develop a policy for the grant that would allow its criteria to be informed by the Board and the review process to be administered by the EDA.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Economic Prosperity - Foster an environment that stimulates diversified job creation, capital investments, and tax revenues that support community goals.
DISCUSSION: At its meeting on April 19, 2022, the EDA provided feedback on the draft Building Reuse Grant Policy (Attachment A). The EDA emphasized that flexibility in the program's eligibility and review criteria would be key to simultaneously supporting business growth and maximizing benefits to the broader community. As a result, the draft policy contains a limited number of minimum requirements for business eligibility, b...
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