Community Improvement Plan

Study Grant Program

Grant equal to 50% of the cost for an urban design study, professional architectural/design drawing(s), heritage impact assessment, and/or eligible feasibility study to a maximum grant of $2,500 per property/project.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Facade Improvement Grant/Loan Program

Grant equal to 50% of the cost of eligible front facade and storefront improvement/ restoration works to a maximum grant per property/project of $12,500.

At discretion of Council, a separate grant equal to 50% of the cost of eligible side and/or rear facade improvement/ restoration works to a maximum grant of $6,250 per property/project may be provided for properties where the side and/or rear facades are highly visible from a public parking area and/or public open space.

At discretion of Council, maximum total Façade Improvement Grant can be increased by up to $6,250 (on a matching 50/50 basis) per property/project for properties/projects that are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

AND/OR

Loan equal to 50% of the cost of eligible front facade and storefront improvement/ restoration works to a maximum loan per property/project of $20,000.

At discretion of Council, a separate loan equal to 50% of the cost of eligible side and/or rear facade improvement/restoration works to a maximum loan of $7,500 per property/project may be provided for properties where the side and/or rear facades are highly visible from a public parking area and/or public open space.

At discretion of Council, maximum total Façade Improvement Loan can be increased by up to $7,500 (on a matching 50/50 basis) per property/project for properties/projects that are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Building Improvement Grant/Loan Program

Residential Grant/Loan Program

Grant equal to $15 per sq.ft. of residential space rehabilitated or created to a maximum grant of $15,000 per unit and a maximum of 4 units per property/project (maximum grant per property/ project is $60,000).

AND/OR

Loan equal to $20 per sq.ft. of residential space rehabilitated or created to a maximum loan of $20,000 per unit and a maximum of 4 units per property/project (maximum loan per property/ project is $80,000).

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Vitalization Tax Increment Grant Program

Annual grant between 50% and 100% of the increase in municipal property taxes for up to 10 years after project completion. The project must result in a significant increase (see Appendix D of the CIP) in assessment and property taxes.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Brownfields Tax Assistance Program

Cancellation of part or all of the municipal property taxes and education property taxes for up to 3 years.

Cancellation of education property taxes is subject to approval by the Minister of Finance.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Vitalization Development Charge Grant Program

Grant equal to between 50% and 100% of the Town Development Charges normally payable for "catalytic projects". The project must result in a significant increase (see Appendix D of the CIP) in assessment and property taxes.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

Fees Grant Program

Grant equal to 100% of the fees paid on planning and development applications, building permits, heritage permits for the renovation, restoration, rehabilitation and/or redevelopment of existing buildings, and sign permits. For new development, intensification, and additions, there is a maximum total grant of $5,000 per property/project.

For additional information and elegiblity criteria see the Downtown Vitalization Community Improvement Plan document.

General Program Requirements 

All of the financial incentive programs contained in this CIP are subject to the following general requirements as well as the individual requirements specified under each program. The general and program specific requirements contained in this CIP are not necessarily exhaustive, and the Town reserves the right to include other requirements and conditions as deemed necessary on a program and/or property specific basis:

a) Application for any of the incentive programs contained in this Plan can be made only forproperties within the Community Improvement Project Area;

b) With the exception of the Fees Grant Program, an application for any financial incentive program contained in this CIP must be submitted to the Town prior to the commencement of any works or studies to which the financial incentive program will apply and prior to application for building permit;

c) If the applicant is not the owner of the property, the applicant must provide written consent from the owner of the property to make the application;

d) An application for any financial incentive program contained in this CIP must include plans, drawings, studies, estimates, contracts, reports, construction values, rental rates, sale prices, certifications, and other details as required by the Town to satisfy the Town with respect to costs, design, and performance of the project and conformity of the project with the CIP;

e) The Town may require that an applicant submit professional urban design studies and/or professional architectural/design drawings that are in conformity with all applicable heritage, design, infill and landscape guidelines specified by the Town;

f) The application is subject to approval by Town Council or Council's designate. Should Council's designate decide not to approve the application, the applicant has the right to appeal that decision to Council;

g) As a condition of application approval, the applicant may be required to enter into a grant or loan agreement with the Town. This Agreement will specify the terms, duration and default provisions of the incentive to be provided. This Agreement is also subject to approval by Town Council or Council's designate;

h) Each program in this CIP is considered active if Council has approved implementation of the program, and Council has approved a budget allocation for the program (as applicable);

i) Where other sources of government and/or non-profit organization funding (Federal, Provincial, Municipal, CMHC, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, etc...) that can be applied against the eligible costs are anticipated or have been secured, these must be declared as part of the application, and accordingly, the grant/loan from the Town may be reduced on a pro-rated basis;

j) The Town reserves the right to audit the cost of any and all works that have been approved under any of the financial incentive programs, at the expense of the applicant;

k) The Town is not responsible for any costs incurred by an applicant in relation to any of the programs, including without limitation, costs incurred in anticipation of a grant and/or loan;

l) If the applicant is in default of any of the general or program specific requirements, or any other requirements of the Town, the Town may delay, reduce or cancel the approved grantand/or loan, and require repayment of the approved grant and/or loan;

m) The Town may discontinue any of the programs contained in this CIP at any time, but applicants with approved grants and/or loans will still receive said grant and/or loan, subject to meeting the general and program specific requirements, and applicants with approved loans will still be required to repay their loans in full;

n) All proposed works approved under the financial incentive programs and associated improvements to buildings and/or land must conform to all applicable heritage, design, infilland landscape guidelines specified by the Town, and all other Town guidelines, by-laws, policies, procedures, and standards;

o) All works completed must comply with the description of the works as provided in the application form and contained in the program agreement, with any amendments as approved by the Town;

p) Existing and proposed land uses must be in conformity with applicable Official Plan(s), Zoning By-law and other planning requirements and approvals;

q) All improvements made to buildings and/or land shall be made pursuant to a Building Permit, and/or other required permits, and constructed in accordance with the Ontario Building Code and all applicable zoning requirements and planning approvals;

r) When required by the Town, outstanding work orders, and/or orders or requests to comply, and/or other charges from the Town must be satisfactorily addressed prior to grant and/or loan approval/payment;

s) Property taxes must be in good standing at the time of program application and throughout the entire length of the grant/loan commitment;

t) Town staff, officials, and/or agents of the Town may inspect any property that is the subject of an application for any of the financial incentive programs offered by the Town;

u) Eligible applicants can apply for one, more or all of the incentive programs contained in thisCIP, but no two programs may be used to pay for the same eligible cost;

v) Town staff have the right to require annual reports from approved applicants and conduct annual inspections to ensure compliance with the grant/loan agreement and make adjustments to incentive levels to reflect actual project performance in relation to the program requirements and the executed grant/loan agreement;

w) Applicants approved for the programs contained in this CIP will be required to complete the eligible works within specified timeframes;

x) The total of all grants, loans and tax assistance provided in respect of the particular property for which an applicant is making application under the programs contained in this CIP and any other applicable CIPs shall not exceed the eligible cost of the improvements to that particular property under all applicable CIPs;

y) The annual budget for implementation of CIP incentive programs will be determined by Council and surplus budget amounts will be rolled over into the following year's budget for implementation of CIP incentive programs; and,

z) Demand for incentive program funding may be managed through measures such as periodic requests for application.

 Criteria for Project Selection

It is useful to note that the basic eligibility requirements outlined in the CIP will be confirmed upon submission, and only eligible applications will be evaluated against the following criteria. The number of brackets indicates the weight given to an individual criterion.

An application will only be evaluated against the criteria that are applicable to that specific application, and a minimum score must be achieved in a criterion in order for it to be applied to the overall score.

Grant/Loan Cost Leverage (2.0):

• This criterion evaluates the ratio of the applicant's contribution to the Town of Cobourg's grant/loan funds requested.
• An application that leverages more private funds at a relatively lesser cost to the Town will score higher in this category.

Visual Impact (2.0):

• Is the proposed work visible from the street or public realm? If not, then this criterion is not applicable.
• Does the scope of work represent a significant visual improvement to the building/property?
• Additional bonus points are awarded where the scope of work will improve multiple storeys of an existing building's publicly visible façade.

Impact on Target Business Attraction (1.8)

Does the project involve bringing one of the following types of businesses or services to the downtown area?

• Mid-scale family restaurants
• Up-scale restaurants
• Food retailer
• Ladies & children's clothing & accessory shops
• Up-scale coffee shop/cyber cafe
• Specialty stores
• Business with unique cultural & artisan experiences

Historical Preservation Impact (1.7)

• Is the subject property located within a designated Heritage Conservation District, or designated individually by by-law? If not, then this criterion is not applicable.
• Does the scope of work reflect best practices of heritage building stewardship?
• Will the scope of work have a heritage conservation impact?

Residential Square Footage (1.6)

• The percentage of the total gross floor area of the building that is residential space being rehabilitated/converted/upgraded/created.
• An additional bonus point is awarded if one or more new residential units is being created.

Business Square Footage (1.6)

• The percentage of the total gross floor area of the building that is commercial/business space being rehabilitated/converted/upgraded/created.
• An additional bonus point is awarded if one or more new commercial or business units is being created.

Structural Integrity Impact (1.3)

• For this criterion to be applicable, the applicant must submit supporting documentation from a qualified professional that demonstrates the nature and extent of engineering/structural issues to be addressed.