DERELICT BUILDING & REVITALIZATION RESOURCES for LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Keep Iowa Beautiful
Contact Person: Julie Bailey | Phone: 515.323.6507 |
Program: Community Beautification Grant Program

  1. Assists communities and organizations in granting monies for improvements and/or demolition of derelict buildings.
  2. $56,000 awarded during the 2010 grant cycle for addressing derelict buildings throughout the State of Iowa.
  3. Looking at revamping the guidelines for the 2011 funding round.

Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED)
Contact Person(s): Elyse Shindelar |Phone: 515.725.3005 |
Jeff Geerts | Phone: 515.725.3069 |

Program(s): Iowa Green Streets, Main Street Challenge, and Community Development Block Grants- Sustainable Community Demonstration Projects and Downtown Revitalization Project

Iowa Green Streets

1.  No funding source to address derelict buildings at this time. The program may be able to provide technical assistance and policy examples to prevent buildings from becoming derelict in the future.

Main Street Challenge

1.  Awarded by the Iowa Downtown Resource Center to Main Street Iowa communities via a competitive process

2.  Improvements to existing buildings and new construction projects within a local Main Street Iowa district

3.  Awards are capped at $100,000 but looking to increase this amount- designated funds through HUD

Community Development Block Grant

1.  Projects must take place in communities with population of less than 50,000 people

2.  Eligible applicants included cities under 50,000 and all counties within the state. Eligible applicants may apply on behalf of nonprofit organizations. CDBG entitlement communities are not eligible to apply for these funds

3.  Project must be owned by a local government or non-profit if the local government is applying on its behalf

4.  Projects only making improvements to public buildings serving common community-wide services will not be competitive

5.  Projects for building for the general conduct of government operations are not eligible

6.  All funded projects must meet at least one of the following CDBG national objectives

  1. Primary benefit low and moderate income persons; or
  2. Prevent or eliminate slum or blight

7.  Applicants must determine prior to submitting a pre-application that they can meet at least one of the national objectives above

8.  Projects shall also follow applicable HUD requirements such as environmental reviews, historical property reviews, Davis-Bacon wage requirements, and public participation requirements

9.  All projects invited to submit a full application shall follow the Iowa Green Streets Criteria, http://www.iowaiifechanging.com/community/downloads/grcenllowa-Grecn-Streets-Crieteria.pdf

10.  Projects funded from the downtown revitalization fund must be part of a comprehensive downtown revitalization effort

11.  Applicants may apply for up to $500,000 from one of the two new funding opportunities. If a comprehensive project far exceeds the $500,000 cap, applicants are encouraged to either:

  1. Fill out a pre-application that describes the individual components under consideration for funding, and how they tie into a broader comprehensive project, and/or
  2. Inquire to IDED about how other possible funding programs that could be a better or complimentary fit for the complete scope and components of the project.

12.  The Sustainable Community Demonstration and Downtown Revitalization funding opportunities are intended to assist communities in demonstrating innovative, cutting edge solutions to making Iowa's communities more environmentally, economically, and culturally viable. IDED is seeking sustainable community and downtown revitalization projects that demonstrate innovative, out of the box, comprehensive, and replicable approaches to sustainability.

Community Development Block Grant- Sustainable Community Demonstration Project

  1. Projects are intended to take place on a larger scale and anywhere within the community.
  2. New or underused strategies addressing community sustainability
  3. Sustainable Community Principles (see www.smartgrowth.org)
  4. Green, Sustainable Building Practices
  5. Historic Preservation
  6. Walk-ability, Bike-ability, Transportation Choices, Complete Streets
  7. Broad Community Support and Impact
  8. Support of broader local community planning and sustainability initiatives
  9. Renewable energy – solar hot water, photovoltaic, community wind, small-scale wind, fuel cell;
  10. Geothermal heating and cooling on a large scale;
  11. Stormwater practices promoting decentralized approaches to infiltration, cleansing, cooling, and reuse
  12. Single building projects must involve a prominent, public building and demonstrate green building features

Community Development Block Grant- Downtown Revitalization Projects

  1. Need to demonstrate long-lasting benefits for the downtown area and contribute toward a comprehensive downtown revitalization effort.
  2. Compatibility with and Supportive of a Local Downtown Revitalization Plan
  3. The projects must take place in the downtown or historic commercial center
  4. Significant Impact on a Significant Structure(s)
  5. Sustainable Community Principles (see www.smartgrowth.org)
  6. Green, Sustainable Building Practices
  7. Historic Preservation
  8. Walk-ability, Bike-ability, Transportation Choices, Complete Streets
  9. Innovative Policy and Funding Approaches
  10. Promote Energy Conservation, Efficiency, and Clean Renewable energy
  11. Green infrastructure (www.epa.gov/greeninfrastructure)
  12. Single building projects must involve a prominent, public building and demonstrate significant and green building features


Iowa DNR Air Quality Bureau: Asbestos Program
Contact(s): Brian Hutchins l Phone: 515.242.5100 |
Tom Wuehr | Phone:

Asbestos remediation costs vary depending on the condition of the building, the amount of asbestos that needs to be removed, and the distance the asbestos has to be hauled to a permitted disposal site. If the building isn't safe to inspect and remove asbestos, then the whole building is deemed to be asbestos containing.

Iowa DNR Land Quality Bureau: Contaminated Sites
Contact: Mel Pins |Phone: 515.281.8489 |
Program: Iowa Brownfield Redevelopment Program

1.  Provides technical & financial resources to communities

2.  Can provide:

a.  Cost reimbursement for a pre-purchase "all appropriate inquires" report about the recorded development & environmental history of a site, know as a Phase 1

b.  Free services for Phase II pre-purchase environmental site assessments

c.  Cost reimbursement for certified asbestos inspections

d.  50% cost-share for environmental cleanup with a cap of$25,000

3.  Community must do:

a.  Direct economic development through resale or reuse

b.  Value-added use of direct benefit to the public

c.  Conversion to greenspace, recreational use or natural habitat restoration

Iowa DNR Land Quality Bureau: Solid Waste
Contact: Scott Flagg | Phone: 515.281.4876 |

1.  Prospective program to address commercial properties

a.  Looking at a 3 tiered grant / loan approach

b.  Key elements to look at that would address the waste reduction, recycling and reuse aspects

·  Asbestos inspections and removal

·  Rehabilitation of the property

·  Deconstruction of the building