Facade Improvement Program

The Facade Improvement Program — a financial incentive package for property owners or tenants interested in preserving or restoring their buildings — is part of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership (HDKP) revitalization program and mirrors that of the national Main Street Program.

The Facade Improvement Program has four goals:
1) To encourage historic preservation through restoration of downtown structures.
2) To abate continued deterioration of downtown commercial structures.
3) To augment the downtown’s natural assets by restoring uniqueness, character and integrity of structures to the period of their construction.
4) To assist in economic recovery downtown through job creation, increased sales in retail and commercial business and increased property values.

How the Facade Improvement Program Works
The Program is designed to help preserve, restore, or complete other compatible modifications of historic building facades. Any business owner within HDKP boundaries — from the Blue Bridge to the Cable Bridge, and from the Columbia River to 10th Avenue — is eligible. Upon approval the Program provides a matching grant to cover from 50 to 75% of project cost. The remainder must be provided by the property owner.

What Can the Money Be Used For?
Funds must be used for changes to building exteriors which are visible to pedestrians; facade renovation/restoration, awnings, canopies, painting, windows, lighting entryways, and cornices. Structural changes directly related to facade changes or changes and/or building additions which enhance the downtown area’s pedestrian atmosphere are also permitted.

Project Review Criteria
Proposals must conform to City zoning and code requirements. The HDKP Design Committee uses the following criteria (as well as the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings) in reviewing Facade Improvement Program applications:

• The design must be visually interesting and compatible with its surroundings.
• If a project is unusually large or is located so as to become part of an introduction/transition to the downtown area, the design must acknowledge this impact by addressing these design criteria in a particularly exemplary manner.
• Where appropriate, the design must maintain pedestrian access and orientation.
• The design must screen the placement of storage or mechanical equipment from view.
• The design must avoid both monotonous similarity and excessive dissimilarity with existing structures.
• Proposed materials must be compatible with the character of downtown Kennewick.
• The design must preserve the distinguishing original qualities or character of the building.
• Deteriorated architectural features must be repaired rather than replaced whenever possible. If replacement is necessary, new material should reproduce the material being replaced in composition and design color as closely as possible.
• The proposal must specify the gentlest possible methods of surface cleaning of structures. Sandblasting or other methods that may damage building materials are not recommended.
• Architecturally appropriate awning style and design is required.
• External lighting fixtures must be compatible with existing architecture.

A Facade Improvement Program funding application may be obtained at:
Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership
124 W. Kennewick Avenue
PO Box 6552
Kennewick , WA 99336
582-7221