Historic Downtown Merriam Exterior Improvement Grant

Step 1.Understand Requirements 

• Commercial buildings/property that are located within an area bounded by Turkey Creek; the north property line of 5646 Merriam Drive extended to the BNSF railroad; BNSF railroad; the south property line of 5937 Merriam Drive, and the north property line of 5920 Merriam Drive. View Map(PDF, 589KB)
• Minimum $3,000 investment by the property owner
• Reimbursement amount: minimum $600; maximum $10,000
• Eligible improvements include, but are not limited to: painting, siding, door/window replacement, masonry repair, awnings, building additions, landscaping, foundation repair, flood proofing
• Interior improvements aren't eligible with the exception of flood proofing and foundation repairs
• Flood proofing must meet FEMA standards and be designed by a Kansas licensed engineer
• Residential structures aren't eligible
• If applicable, improvements must meet the Architectural Design Guidelines for the City of Merriam – Downtown District, Oct. 18, 2002
• The City reserves the right to determine if a proposed improvement meets program requirements
• All improvements must conform to Merriam Codes
• Contractor must have a current Merriam Occupational license, and if appropriate, a Johnson County Contractor License
• Property owner must be current on all property taxes in Merriam
• Program property must be code complaint with the exception of the violation to be addressed by this grant program
• All other properties owned by the applicant in Merriam must be code complaint
• Property owner must provide proof of adequate property insurance
• Governmental subsides or funds utilized for the improvements aren't eligible for reimbursement
•  The city reserves the right to determine if a proposed improvement meets program requirements

Step 2.Gather Information

• Proof of paid property tax
• Proof of property insurance

Step 3.Process

• The Community Development Department manages the program
• The City will start accepting applications on March 2, 2026
• Property owner submits an application to Community Development
• Applications are reviewed in the order they are received
• Work bids must be submitted with the application
• The program will only reimburse the labor costs of the labor provided by a third-party contractor
• Application must be approved by the City before the start of work
• Before and after photos of the project will be taken by City staff
• Property owner is responsible for ensuring that all required permits have been obtained. All permits must be in place prior to any work taking place
• Work must be completed within 120 days of application approval
• Work must be completed by September 21, 2026
• One Downtown Exterior Grant per property with the same owner, per 5 years
• Owners of multiple properties can annually submit an application for only one of their properties

Step 4.Before reimbursement

• Property owner provides at least $3,000 in receipts
• Staff performs a post-project inspection to verify project completion
• No exterior code violations are present
• Property owner must complete a W-9 

Step 5.Application

The city will start accepting applications on March 2, 2026.