We're excited to officially launch the application for the first round of the "Looking Up Downtown" Paul Bruhn Grant, open to projects located in Minnesota Main Streets districts.
Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2024, at 11:59 pm
through our Application Page HERE
The following quick guidelines can help vet your projects:
Awards of up to $50,000 will be awarded to 12 projects focused on the interior upper floors of buildings located in Main Street Districts. There will be two rounds of applications, with six projects receiving grants during each period. Grants are for work yet to be completed and will not be applicable for work done prior to grant award and review by the National Park Service.
To be eligible for the Looking Up Downtown grant, your building needs to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places either individually or contributing to a historic district or be in the process of achieving that designation. It must also be located in a Minnesota Main Streets district in communities with populations less than 50,000 (Cities listed below). Please contact your local Main Street Director for district boundaries. Your Local Main Street program director must be part of the application process and provide a letter of support with all individual applicants.
BRAINERD • CLOQUET • EVELETH • GILBERT•
FARIBAULT • HIBBING • JACKSON • LAKE CITY • LITCHFIELD • MANKATO • MOUNTAIN IRON • NORTHFIELD • OLIVIA • OWATONNA •
RED WING • SHAKOPEE • VIRGINIA • WABASHA
• WILLMAR • WINONA
We anticipate many upper floor projects will be housing-focused, but any interior work to activate upper floor vacant or underutilized spaces is applicable (ex: upper floor event space, new offices, etc.).
Projects will need to be shovel ready. Now is a great time to assemble the necessary paperwork and get going with your prep work. We encourage working with architects with historic architecture experience as much as possible.
You will need photos, both current and historic. Contact your local historical society if you need help finding old photos.
Due to historic designation implications, this grant will only fund window repair, it will not fund window replacement.