City of Springfield, Illinois

The City is pleased to offer the Downtown Parklet Grant of up to $10,000. This revitalization of downtown spaces will retain or create jobs in highly impacted businesses and assist the local economy as it responds to the coronavirus.

Before you apply for a grant, you must have a permit number and parklet design plan. To apply for a permit, use the links below.

 Parklet Permit  Obstruction Permit

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Program Details

This grant is available to downtown restaurant and bars and will reimburse restaurants or bars up to $10,000 for material expenses to expand outdoor space with a parklet.

Parklet Grant Process

Design

• The Restaurant or Bar works with a vendor to design a parklet. Please use our design guide for reference. Design Guide
• If the business doesn’t have a specific vendor, contact Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) for parklet vendors at 217.544.1723.

Apply

• The Restaurant or Bar submits the parklet design and permit application to the City’s Public Works.
• Public Works issues the permit to the business.
• The business submits a grant application.
• If eligibility requirements are met, Office of Planning & Economic Development (OPED) provides notice of aware and a grant contract to the business.

Install

• The parklet is ordered by the business and installed.
• The parklet is inspected by Public Works.
• The business provides the final invoice to OPED.

Award

• Two weeks later, OPED issues the grant award to the business.

Eligibility

Restaurants and bars applying for this program must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be located in the central business district  Central Business District Map
• Be in good standing with the State of Illinois
• Not owe any fines or debt to the City
• Demonstrate a financial hardship caused by COVID-19
• Demonstrate the creation or retention of a low to moderate income job. To demonstrate the creation or retention of a low to moderate income job or position, please submit ONE of the following documents:
  1. An income certification form for one employee (or owner) who qualifies as low to moderate income based on the Sangamon County income limits in the table below.
  2. If no current employee (or owner) can certify to being a person from a low to moderate income household, the business may submit a job description for a position that:
     • Is reasonably expected to turn over within two years and
     • Requires no special skills that can only be acquired with substantial (i.e., one year or more) training or education beyond high school.

  Size of Household	Maximum Income
  1 person	Can make up to $47,900
  2 people	Can make up to $54,750
  3 people	Can make up to $61,600
  4 people	Can make up to $68,400
  5 people	Can make up to $73,900
  6 people	Can make up to $79,350
  7 people	Can make up to $84,850
  8 people	Can make up to $90,300

• In an effort to respond and recover from COVID-19 and to receive CARES Parklet grant assistance, all businesses must provide documentation showing the assistance is needed because
  1. The business suffered an adverse impact from COVID-19
  2. The business is creating and/or retaining LMI jobs to determine eligibility

Application Requirements

You will need the following information and documents to apply for the grant:

• Permit number and parklet design plan. Please note: To receive your permit number, you must submit your permit application and draft parklet design below. After submitting your permit application and parklet design to Public Works, you will receive your permit number within 5 working days.

   Parklet Permit  Obstruction Permit

• W-9 (a filliable form will be provided on the application page)
• Certificate of good standing or statement of sole proprietorship
• Income certification or job description (see eligibility requirements)
• Year-over-year income statement demonstrating impact from coronavirus. Submit a statement from a 3-month period before March 15, 2020 and one from the same 3-month period after March 15, 2020.

Grant Awards

Applicants will be verified for eligibility in the order in which received. Grants will be made to qualified applicants until funding is exhausted.

Questions

If you have any questions on this rebate program and the application, please call (217) 789-2377 ext. 5477 or email your questions to ravi.doshi@springfield.il.us. You can also check out our FAQ page located below.

 Parklet Grant FAQs