What do turkey legs, numerous cups of beer, and throngs of people have to do with historic conservation? More than you may know. The Southside Reporter posted this article yesterday detailing San Antonio Conservation Society’s historic rehab grant program and how money from A Night in Old San Antonio (the event with the beer, turkey legs, and folks) helps make the grants possible. The article also lays out the requirements needed in applying for a grant.
Conservation Society offers historic rehab grant money
Special to the Southside Reporter
Using the proceeds from its 2012 “A Night In Old San Antonio” event and in keeping with its mission, the San Antonio Conservation Society is accepting applications for grants to individuals and organizations for restoration or rehabilitation of residential or commercial structures in the San Antonio area that are at least 50 years old.
The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. Sept. 28. Grant recipients will be notified by Dec. 3.
The Conservation Society began awarding grants in 1990. Examples of grant projects funded in past years include restoration or rehabilitation of roofs, foundations, windows, plaster, facades, chimneys, front doors, porches and stonework.
Since 2000, the society has awarded $1.8 million to individuals and organizations through its grants programs.
The society also accepts grant applications for educational projects such as research, video production, publication printing and documents conservation — projects other than for the restoration of historic buildings.
Detailed grant applications are available on the society’s website at www.saconservation.org/PreservationPrograms/Grants.aspx or at the San Antonio Conservation Society headquarters at 107 King William St.
Completed application forms cannot be submitted online. Applications must be mailed or physically submitted Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Grant requirements include:
A structure must be at least 50 years old. However, priority is given to structures that are architecturally significant and endangered.
Grants are restricted to project phases that are not underway or already completed at the time of the award.
An applicant may have only one active San Antonio Conservation Society grant in a 12-month period.
Grant funding is handled on a reimbursement basis. Funds will be disbursed within 30 days after proof of payment is received. The society reserves the right to inspect the project prior to payment.
The society is not responsible for supervision of the contractor during construction on building projects.
Approval by the society of grants for structures located in historic districts, or individually designated structures does not take the place of approval of the project by the city of San Antonio’s Historic and Design Review Commission.
Interior work does not qualify for a grant, with the exception of those interiors that are of landmark quality. One example of this is the interior of the Majestic Theater.
Funding will not be awarded for new construction, landscaping, sidewalks, driveways, fences, garages, patios, A/C systems, electrical work or ADA/handicapped projects.
Maintenance, such as painting, is generally not eligible for grant funding.
All work must be done according to the “Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.”
The guidelines can be found at www.saconservation.org/programs, or at www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/rhb.
The most commonly granted amount is in the $5,000 range; requests over $15,000 are seldom granted under this program.
No more than six digital images in jpg format are required with the application. Quality digital images are extremely important elements of the application.
For more information and application forms, visit the society’s website, contact the group at 210-224-6163 or email conserve@saconservation.org.