New legislation cuts through red tape
The process by which owners of historic, non-residential properties can apply for city grant funds to help preserve and restore qualified buildings has been streamlined following the passage of Bill 2024-0847.
Group 4 At-Large City Councilmember Matt Carlucci introduced the bill, which, in part, simplifies the application process for the Restore Endangered Historic Adaptable Buildings (REHAB) special revenue fund. Under this grant program, approved applicants are eligible for reimbursement of a maximum 50% — up to $100,000 — once the project is complete and all program requirements are met.
The bill passed as an emergency at the Nov. 12 city council meeting with a unanimous vote.
With the passage of this bill, the REHAB grant program now has several revised guidelines, from funding limitations and eligible expenditures to the application approval process.
Among the changes is a clarification that grants are subject to repayment should the owner default, sell or transfer the property. Another is the removal of the requirement of evidence that the property owner’s income taxes are current. Applicants are required to provide evidence that property and business taxes are current.
Addressing questions surrounding the removal of the income tax requirement at the Nov. 4 Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, Steve Kelley, director of downtown real estate and development with the Downtown Investment Authority, explained removing that requirement was another effort to streamline the application process.
“As it relates to the removal of personal financial statements and tax returns and such, what we have found is that the requiring those financial documents really serves as an impediment to applications because applicants don’t want their information subject to public record requests,” said Kelley.
Phillip Peterson with the council auditor’s office added that there are few programs that require income tax returns and removing that caveat did not raise “major concerns.”
Based on conversations from that NCSPHS meeting, the revised application process now has an added provision that applicants provide “a notarized affidavit attesting that they are current on all taxes.”
The REHAB special revenue fund was approved in 2023. This grant program provides funding for “the repair, rehabilitation and restoration of non-residential income-producing historic buildings.”
Since the fund’s creation, Carlucci said it’s seen “eight or nine applicants.”
Among these applicants is Jacksonville Museum Space LLC, the new property owner of the First Church of Christ, Scientist building. Most recently, that building housed the Jacksonville branch of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum until it closed last January. The building, built in 1921, requires extensive repairs and renovations before it’s ready for its next chapter as a community space and event venue. Josh Pardue, manager of the llc, said while the funding provided through REHAB grant program will help significantly, that’s not the only benefit.
“It certainly helps the economic gap in this situation,” Pardue said. “..But equally as important is that it feels good when you work really hard on these old buildings and the neighborhood and the city’s behind you.”
