Heritage Financial Incentives Program

The Heritage Financial Incentives Program is intended to defray some of the development costs associated with maintaining and conserving heritage properties. It is for:

municipally designated Heritage Buildings
buildings located in the City's designated Heritage Areas

The applicant must demonstrate the cost difference between a regular renovation and a heritage renovation. The grant will not exceed the amount of the cost difference.

Grants and incentives

The following types of incentives listed below are offered at The City of St. John's.

This grant is for the maintenance and repair to façade elements abutting a public street. A grant of up to 25% of the material and labour costs will be available to a maximum of $1,000 per building, per calendar year.

Eligible Work Projects for the Heritage Maintenance Grant

Any work for the maintenance and repair to façade elements abutting a public street, including but not limited to:

Work to conserve the exterior such as: cornices, parapets, dormers, towers, windows, doors, canopies, and decorative features such as panels, mouldings, trims, carvings and similar architectural details. Subject to demonstrated need, cladding stabilization may also be eligible. This includes the repair and restoration of terracotta and the repointing of stone and brick masonry.
Work to reconstruct missing exterior elements. This work must be based on drawings, photographs, surviving physical remnants, or other acceptable evidence of the original design.
Repainting or re-coating of the exterior elements.
Replacement or repair of roofing shingles, rain gutters, downspouts, flashing, exterior caulking and chimneys to prevent further deterioration due to weather infiltration.

This grant is for the preservation, restoration and/or replacement of façade elements abutting a public street. A grant of up to 25% of the material and labour costs will be available to a maximum of $5,000 per building, per calendar year.

Eligible Work Projects for the Heritage Conservation Grant

Any work for the preservation, restoration and/or replacement of façade elements abutting a public street, including but not limited to:

Preservation of existing exterior architectural elements. This may include the preservation of deteriorated windows and doors, cladding, roofing, foundation, cornices, mouldings, architectural trim, wrought iron fences, and other significant features.
Restoration of exterior architectural elements which have been lost but for which the appearance can be clearly determined from physical evidence or documentary sources such as historic drawings or photographs.
Replacement of existing exterior architectural elements that still exist but which are beyond preservation or repair. This includes replacement of deteriorated doors and windows, cladding, roofing, cornices, mouldings, architectural trim, wrought iron fences, and other significant features.

The following works are not eligible for a City Heritage Grant:

new construction
demolition
the removal, storage and/or reuse of façade of demolished heritage buildings
signage
fences, outbuildings, and landscaping (exception: existing wrought iron fences along a public street)
building relocation
vinyl siding
legal fees and borrowing costs
owner's labour

Permit Waiver

Once a grant application is approved, Council may waive associated permit fees.

Conditions

Each property shall be limited to one grant per calendar year, and two grants in any four consecutive calendar years.
All work funded by a grant must comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation.
Any work undertaken prior to grant approval shall be identified and may be considered for funding at Council's discretion provided the City receives the grant application during the announced application period and within two years of when the building permit was issued.
For clarity, the use of vinyl siding is permissible in Heritage Areas 2, 3, and 4, but vinyl siding is not eligible for funding.

How to apply

Applications for heritage grants must be received in writing between March 1 and May 1 annually. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications must be signed by the property owner or a person operating under the owner's written consent. A copy of the written consent must accompany the application.

What to include

a completed application form
current, coloured photographs of the façade abutting a public street, with close-ups of the areas of work, for which the grant is applied (photographs may be submitted digitally by email or USB drive)
two cost estimate quotes for the proposed work, including itemized description of work to be completed.
supporting documentation substantiating the amount of increased costs attributed to the designation as a municipal heritage building or due to its location in one of the City's Heritage Areas

Prioritization

When considering applications, priority is given to:

designated municipal Heritage Buildings
first-time applications
preservation, restoration and weatherproofing historic elements rather than cosmetic improvement
applications supported by a Conservation Plan or a Heritage Report prepared by a design professional (architect, engineer or qualified restoration professional)

The review process

Applications will be evaluated based on eligibility of work and the work's positive impact to the public streetscape.

The Heritage Planner, or his or her designate, reviews the applications and makes recommendations to the Built Heritage Experts Panel.
The Built Heritage Experts Panel shall make recommendations to Council.
Council may, in its sole discretion approve, approve with conditions, or refuse a grant application.

Applicants are notified in writing of Council's decision.

When you get a grant

Applicants who receive a grant are required to do the following:

obtain a building permit from the City
submit all costs and work plans to the City
notify the City when there is any deviations to the costs and/or work plans
provide any other information as may be requested by Council
complete the project as set out in the grant application

Conditions for grant payment

Applicants are required to complete all work and submit proof of payment of all paid invoices pertaining to the work within 24 months from the date of Council's approval of the grant.
Applicants must submit coloured photographs of the completed work for which the grant is applied. Photographs may be submitted digitally by email or USB drive.
All work and documentation must be deemed satisfactory upon inspection by the City prior to the disbursement of the grant. If upon final inspection we determine that the work has not been completed as per approved plans or has not been completed in compliance with all applicable legislation, the grant will be cancelled.
The grant may be cancelled should the work associated with it remain incomplete 24 months after approval of the grant.