Matching Grants are available to property owners for improving the appearance of businesses located within DeLand’s gateway districts. Eligible projects may receive Grant Awards of up to 50% of total project cost as a reimbursement for expenditures with no single grant exceeding $5,000. Only one project per premise (defined as a single parcel of property on the Volusia County Property Appraiser’s Records) may be submitted. Upon recommendation by the MainStreet Grant Committee and the City of DeLand Community Development Department, the City Commission may award larger grants for exceptional projects.
Types Of Eligible Projects
This program is designed to offer a onetime award to improve the appearance of gateway properties. A wide variety of projects are eligible to receive matching grant funds. Examples of eligible projects include:
- Exterior building renovation which improves the appearance of the facility;
- Pressure washing or repainting the exterior of discolored buildings;
- Repainting exterior buildings from loud or garish colors to earth tones or pastels;
- Installation of landscape buffers where none exist;
- Installation of tree islands or landscape islands in older non-conforming parking lots;
- Replacement of older non-conforming signs with monument signs and foundation landscaping;
- Other projects as approved by the City Commission.
Note: All landscaping must be done with ‘water-wise’ plant materials.
General building or facility maintenance is not eligible for funding under this program. Examples of activities generally ineligible for funding under most circumstances include:
- Building reroofs;
- Parking lot re-striping;
- Replacement of dead or diseased landscape materials or re-sodding lawn areas;
- Installation of irrigation systems;
- Properties that are in violation of city codes are usually not eligible for funding;
The MainStreet DeLand Association shall manage the program in collaboration with the City’s Community Development Department. The program is subject to overall policy direction, general oversight and final approval of all grant awards by the Deland City Commission. MainStreet DeLand Association shall receive all applications. The MainStreet Executive Director will work the City’s Community Development Director or his appointee to ensure all applications are complete and comply with the codes and ordinances of the City. Recommendations for approval or denial will be forwarded to the DeLand City Commission for final consideration.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the expectation that all awarded grant projects will be completed with all documentation specified as necessary for payment submitted to the City of DeLand no later than September 30 of the year of the grant award.
Award Of Funds
Once an award is made, MainStreet DeLand shall be responsible for preparing documentation for payment of eligible expenses. The grant program works on a reimbursement basis and eligible expenses must be documented by a detailed receipts and cancelled checks. Upon validation of the request for reimbursement, MainStreet DeLand will submit a request for payment to the City Community Development Department. Approximately four weeks are needed to process the request for reimbursement.
Definiton Of Gateway Areas
Section 33-36 of the City’s Land Development code describes three gateway areas. Grants may be awarded to businesses (commercial, retail and service, industrial, warehouse, wholesale or office use) in the City limits within any of these three areas.
1. Core Gateway District. All areas encompassed by or located within the following described area except those within the Downtown DeLand Tax Increment District:
- Plymouth Avenue on the north, between Boundary and Hill Avenues
- Hill Avenue on the east, between Plymouth and Beresford Avenues
- Beresford Avenue on the south, between Hill and Boundary Avenues
- Boundary Avenue on the west, between Beresford and Plymouth Avenues
2. Redevelopment Gateway District: Properties on any of the following roadway segments:
- North Woodland Boulevard – from Plymouth Avenue to U.S. 92
- East New York Avenue – from Hill Avenue to Kepler Road
- South Woodland Avenue – from Beresford Avenue to SR 472
- West New York Avenue – from Boundary Avenue to the west corporate limit line
- SR 15A – from Beresford Avenue to Plymouth Avenue
3. Emerging Gateway District: Properties located on any of the following roadway segments:
- Kepler Road and Martin Luther King Blvd.- from US 92 to SR 472
- East New York Avenue (SR44) – from Hill Avenue to I-4
- West New York Avenue (SR44) – from SR 15A to the CSX Railroad
- SR 15A – from Plymouth Avenue to US 17
- SR 15A – from Beresford Avenue to US 17/92
- International Speedway Blvd. (US 92) – from US 17 to Old Daytona Road
- CR 92 – from US 17 to SR 15A
- Woodland Blvd. (US 17) – from International Speedway Blvd. to SR 15A
- Orange Camp Rd. – from US 17/92 to I-4
- County Rd 4139 – from SR 44 to I-4
- Taylor Rd. – from US 17/92 to Martin Luther King Blvd.
- Stone St. – from Plymouth Ave. north to CR 92
- Interstate 4 – from 600’ north of SR 44 to 600’ south of Orange Camp Rd.