Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announces $850,000 for a new round of Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants.

 The HEAL program provides grants to small communities across the state to revitalize downtown buildings. HEAL is designed to bring downtown buildings back into productive use as spaces for new or expanding businesses, housing, arts and culture, civic engagement, childcare, and entrepreneurship, making downtown districts throughout the state more economically vibrant.

 Eligible applicants must be organizations applying on behalf of building owners and may include designated Kansas Main Street programs, economic development organizations, cities, counties, 501c3 or 501c6 organizations, and local community foundations. Private building owners should contact their local organizations to work in partnership on the application and to identify buildings that are strong candidates for the HEAL program. The buildings should be underutilized, valuable to the historic fabric of the downtown district, and have a feasible plan for adaptive reuse.

 HEAL matching grants will be awarded for either façade or building construction projects. Communities that received a previous HEAL grant are not eligible to apply in this round. Proof of matching funds from the building owner will be required at the time of application. The application window opened yesterday and closes on March 31 with award notifications at the end of May.

 Information about the HEAL grant program and the online application can be viewed here.