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Chair: Mike Burton, AIA, mburton@udg-balt.com
The Design Committee has administered the Main Street Facade Improvement Grant for the past several years. Through the initial program, Federal Hill Main Street gave a total $100,000 to 40 neighborhood businesses.
Are you looking for a facade improvement grant? The Baltimore Development Corporation offers a $3000 matching Facade Improvement Grant ("FIG") to improve existing commercial businesses and properties in certain targeted areas, including Federal Hill. (Download a FIG Grant application from the Important Documents menu on the right.) In designated Main Street areas, architectural assistance grants are available as well. For more information about the FIG program, contact Dave Garza at the BDC at dgarza@baltimoredevelopment.com, or 410-837-9305.
To view some of the remarkable facade improvements, click here.
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The Public Spaces & Design Committee facilitated the installation of new Victorian style pedestrian streetlights throughout the neighborhood in 2003, as well as new trash cans, new benches, directional parking signs, etc., a public investment of well over $400,000.
The committee obtained a $220,000 MTA grant to redevelop and beautify the park area on the key corner of Light and Cross Streets, installing new brick sidewalks, brick and iron fencing, lighting, flowers and greenery, and a sitting area.
Working with the Federal Hill Garden Club on a project they began years ago, the Public Spaces & Design Committee facilitated the new Federal Hill gateway sign on the corner of Light Street and Key Highway. The Garden Club had raised $15,000, and Baltimore Main Streets contributed an additional $60,000.
The committee obtained an $18,000 Preservation Maryland grant to prepare and submit a nomination for a new National Register Historic District covering the southern half of the business district and surrounding areas: Federal Hill South. The nomination was approved and listed in the National Register on December 22, 2003. (The northern half of the business district has been listed in the National Register for many years.) Listing in the National Register brings both direct and indirect benefits, including eligibility for federal and state tax credits, recognition and preservation of Federal Hill's unique historic character, and increased property values.
Most recently, the Public Spaces Committee worked with the South Baltimore Business Association to install and maintain hanging flower baskets on the Victorian streetlights throughout the business district. The new metal baskets contain brightly colored trailing annuals and American flags to add a burst of color to neighborhood.
The Public Spaces & Design Committee works to promote beautification of the neighborhood on a steady basis. Maintenance of the flower baskets, regular walks with Sanitation Enforcement, and an ongoing tree stewardship program to bring more trees to the historic streets of Federal Hill are continuing efforts. The committee is also looking to broaden its responsibilities, focusing on the goal of raising awareness about design and its contribution to business in order to beautify the community.
If you would like more information about matching facade grants or other design support, or if you are interested in volunteering with this committee, please contact the Design Committee at admin@historicfederalhill.org.
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