Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program

The Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program (ARRP) is supported in part by a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. This program will fund capital rehabilitation projects that foster community vibrancy and enhance sense of place within our region’s community and agricultural centers, with a focus on historic main street and agricultural buildings. The ARRP will drive investment in our North Country communities, providing assistance to small business owners and nonprofits while encouraging rehabilitation in our historic community cores. Applicants must affirmatively answer pre-qualification questions to determine eligibility and access a full application. Application deadline is August 11, 2023. A downloadable copy of these program guidelines is available as a PDF here.

Question and Answer Sessions

AARCH hosted two virtual information sessions. Our June 5th information session included a representative from the NYS Historic Preservation Office to answer questions about the National Register eligibility determination and nomination processes. The recording of our June 5th Q&A session is posted on our YouTube channel. Please send questions to adkrural@aarch.org.

Program Eligibility

This program is open to private, public, and nonprofit owners of historic properties throughout the Adirondack region (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Washington, and Warren Counties). Properties must be listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places (individually or contributing to a historic district) and in towns of under 10,000.

In order to qualify for ARRP funding, buildings must be determined National Register-eligible (individual or district) or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (individual or district) prior to the grant application deadline will qualify. Some funding is available through this program for National Register nomination research and writing as needed. Potential applicants can learn more about the National Register of Historic Places online here.  If not already listed, applicants must submit their National Register Determination of Eligibility application to the NYS Historic Preservation Office by June 23, 2023. The National Register Preliminary Information Form that must be submitted is online at the NYS Historic Preservation Office website here. The site must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the end of the grant period, as mandated by the National Park Service. To determine whether your building is listed on the National Register, visit the Cultural Resource Information System GIS site or contact the NYS Historic Preservation Office.

The program will fund capital rehabilitation and repair projects that follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, contribute to the community’s character, and create economic development through new and/or additional uses for the historic space. Only repair and/or rehabilitation projects will receive funding through this program, such as roof, masonry, door and/or window repair, structural stabilization, site infrastructure as required for building occupancy will also be considered. Applicants must submit a detailed description of the proposed project, this can include photographs, design documents, project narratives, building material outline, for technical review. We will not fund new construction, landscaping, building reconstruction, or paving. Successful applicants must follow federal competitive contractor procurement practices based on the size of the program grant.

Eligible applicants must own their building and have or create a public use for their space (e.g. coffee shop, community-supported enterprise, small retail business, performance space). All applications receive a technical review by the National Park Service. No project can begin until that review is completed.

Applicants will need to demonstrate a 25% match contribution to the qualifying project costs (e.g. a $100,000 project would require a $25,000 match and a maximum grant request of $75,000). The program’s maximum grant award will be $100,000 with a requirement to complete the project before spring 2025. Grant payment will be made in installments upon review and approval of contractor invoices. Payments will equal 75% of the qualifying project costs. Final payment will be made upon project completion.

Program Priorities

For maximum program leverage, AARCH will prioritize projects that incorporate other preservation incentives such as NYS and Federal Historic Tax Credits (Federal HTCs will not be used as project match), the NYS Main Street Program, and the NYS Historic Barn Rehabilitation Program. Federal Historic Tax Credit funds cannot be used as a match for this program. Projects in hamlets and villages under 7,000 will also receive funding priority.

Program Evaluation

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria, for a maximum of 50 points:

• Submittal of a complete application (10 points)
• Adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (10 points)
  • Will the project use the NYS and/or Federal Historic Tax Credits or other NYS funding sources (e.g. NYS Main Street, Restore New York, NYS Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit)?
  • Does the project follow preservation standards?
• Project appropriateness (10 points)
  • Does this project reflect the organization or applicant’s needs?
  • Does the project address the most critical building needs?
  • Municipalities and nonprofits: Does the proposed project align with your comprehensive or strategic plan?
• Applicant fiscal and managerial capacity (10 points)
  • Does the applicant have demonstrated capacity to complete capital rehabilitation projects on time and on budget?
  • Does the budget reflect a plan for the required match?
  • For 501c3 organizations, is your board and annual budget in keeping with nonprofit best practices
• Public benefit (10 points)
  • Is this project part of the community’s comprehensive or master plan?
  • Does the project have demonstrated community support?
  • Will completion of this project meet a need within the community?
  • Will this project contribute to the community’s economic development?
  • Will this project result in increased public space in the community?

Application Submittal Process

Applicants must affirmatively answer all initial pre-qualification questions in order to access the full application. All applicants must demonstrate their National Register designation or submit a National Register Determination of Eligibility letter from the NYS Historic Preservation Office at the time of their application. Projects cannot have begun until the National Park Service application review is complete. Deadline for the ARRP application is August 11, 2023.

Grant Conditions

The National Park Service requires that grantees place a preservation covenant/easement on the property for five (5) to (10) years, dependent on the amount of funding awarded through ARRP. Adirondack Architectural Heritage will hold the covenant/easement. The covenant/easement terms are as follows:

Resources

• NYS Historic Preservation Office National Register Information
• AARCH Historic Tax Credit Webinar
• AARCH Preserving Historic Barns Webinar

Application available here

Please contact adkrural@aarch.org with any questions or if you would like to receive updates about this program.

Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program logo design by Samantha Johnson.