Businesses on 34th Street and North University Avenue could get a facelift, or interior upgrades, after the Lubbock City Council approved an expansion for the Commercial Revitalization Grant Program.

During its meeting Tuesday, the council discussed an item related to Market Lubbock Inc.'s CRGP, and the addition of two commercial empowerment zones.

The program has been offering grants for improvements in the Downtown and East Lubbock Neighborhood Empowerment Zones.

The council approved the expansion with a vote of 7-0. This adds more than 300 businesses that could potentially get grant assistance.

The Council also approved several other items at the meeting, including 42 vehicles to replace city vehicles across multiple departments, and four zoning changes.

What can the Commercial Revitalization Grant in Lubbock be used for?

The grants can be used for permittable or façade projects.

Permittable projects require a permit from the city and may be improvements to the exterior or interior of the property. Qualifying projects must total a minimum of $5,000, and the grant can reimburse 10% of that. The improvements must be approved by the city, post completion.

Façade projects may or may not need a city permit, but must be made to the exterior facing the most prominent street. The project must total a minimum of $1,000, can be reimbursed for 50%, up to a $25,000 grantOnce the work of any project is confirmed to match the originally approved scope, and a Certificate of Occupancy or similar City document is issued, copies of paid invoices and proof of payment must be submitted to Market Lubbock Inc.

People can reach Market Lubbock Inc. by contacting Jorge Quirino at 806-317-4777 or at jorge@marketlubbock.org.

How to get a Commercial Revitalization Grant in Lubbock

In order to obtain one of these grants, the business must be in one of the four empowerment zones. Other guidelines, as detailed in the overview, include:

• The applicant must be a valid owner or tenant/lessee of the property.

• Single-Family residences and duplexes are excluded.

• All projects are subject to Market Lubbock Inc. Board, City Staff and Lubbock City Council approval. Applicant is responsible for ensuring the completed scope of work matches the originally approved scope.

• The Applicant can receive a permittable grant and/or façade grant per property, per enterprise, per year. They must wait one year from approval to apply again for the same property. Expenses used in one application cannot be used in another application.

• Applicant is not eligible for grant program funding if they are delinquent in property taxes according to Lubbock Central Appraisal District (LCAD) records. This includes all LCAD properties listed in the applicant’s name.

• Applicant is not eligible for grant program funding if applicant operations rely on tax revenue.

• Applicant is responsible for determining current Certificate of Occupancy status prior to start of construction.

• MLI disbursements are characterized as "reimbursable grants," so the applicant pays expenses first.

• Expenses eligible for reimbursement must relate to reasonable costs or expenses.

• Receipt of an application is not a guarantee of grant approval.

• Request for a grant must be made prior to start of construction and/or prior to receiving a dated City of Lubbock construction permit. Applicant is responsible for acquiring all appropriate permits, which must match the work performed.

• Annual commercial revitalization grant program budget totals $500,000.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Commercial Revitalization Grant now available for Lubbock businesses