Building Improvement Grant Programs History

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has been engaged in awarding building improvement grants since 2009. This started with what was called “facade grants,” an approach taken by many communities throughout Michigan to stimulate historic preservation in their downtown areas. From 2017 until 2023, the facade grants were augmented with “Downtown Assistance Program” (DAP) grants. The DAP grants were for smaller amounts than facade grants, and generally for improvements to buildings not involving historic preservation. Both programs were combined in 2024 to comprise the “Building Assistance Grant” (BIG) program, which awards $4,000 to $10,000 for building improvements, with the larger amounts generally for historic preservation.

Since 2009, the DDA’s building improvement grants have been involved in renovations to the exteriors of a total of 22 buildings in Downtown Iron Mountain, as shown below.