RESOLUTION NO. 02-17

A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A CHANGE IN USE INCENTIVE GRANT PILOT PROGRAM

Recitals:

A goal of the City's 2014 Economic Development Plan ("Plan") is to support existing businesses with and through business improvement and/or expansion initiatives. The creation of a Change in Use Incentive Grant Pilot Program is one such initiative.

The Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of maintaining and enhancing a strong downtown as being essential for the area’s regional economy. Goal 4 of the Plan support “the continued development of the downtown area of the City Center into a vibrant and growing area with jobs, housing and tourist attractions.” In addition, Goal 6 encourages “preservation of historic buildings and their appropriate reuse.

The Greater Downtown Plan, adopted in 2013, provides a more detailed vision for the downtown area, recognizing it as the City’s center and a regional destination and the importance of maintaining and enhancing public amenities and services for the area to remain economically viable. The Central Business District, in particular, has an historic building stock that establishes the unique character of the downtown area.

Due to changing market conditions, downtown Grand Junction is following the trends of downtowns throughout the country from a predominantly retail business environment to an entertainment district, with more of a mix of restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues. As that change occurs, it’s important to be able to reuse the historic building stock for new uses. A significant cost to change the use of a building from office or retail to restaurant is the sewer service plant investment fee (PIF).

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION THAT:

To maintain and enhance the vitality of downtown and encourage the reuse of existing buildings as restaurants, the City Council hereby establishes the Change in Use Incentive Grant Pilot Program in the Greater Downtown Plan area for the conversion of an existing building to a restaurant use whereby the City will fund 25% of the sewer wastewater PIF up to $10,000.

The Pilot Program will be for one year in 2017 utilizing funds allocated in the North Avenue façade program. The application and other administrative details of and for the Change in Use Incentive Grant Pilot Program for downtown shall be established by the City Manager with future funding for the program, if any, to be determined by City Council.

PASSED AND APPROVED this 4^th day of January, 2017.

               /s/ Phyllis Norris  

President of the Council

ATTEST:

/s/ Stephanie Tuin  

City Clerk