Kingston Stockade Restoration Grant & Information

Stockade Business District Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program

The City of Kingston is pleased to offer the Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program. Please find the application, guidelines, and budget template under Grant Application Documents. Within the guidelines you will find a timeline and all eligibility information. The deadline to apply is 4:30pm on Friday, April 17, 2026.

The Minor Exterior Improvements Grant Program is part of the Stockade Business District Small Grants Program, administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal. The City of Kingston has approximately $70,000 remaining in the Stockade Business District Small Grants Program for the Minor Exterior Improvements Program. The fund will provide grants of up to $9,000 each to property owners seeking to install appropriate and conforming new signage or awnings to their commercial property building in the Uptown Stockade Business District of Kingston. This area is bounded by the Esopus Creek and Route I-587 to the north and east, St. James Street to the south, and Washington Avenue and Dietz Stadium to the west. View boundary map.

Eligible Applicants

-Commercial property owners

*Applications must be completed and submitted by the property owner. Awards will be made to property owners only. If business owners who do not own the property wish to participate in this grant program, they must make arrangements with the property owner to submit the application on their behalf. Property owners will be considered the “applicant” as described in this application and guidelines throughout the entire grant program, and as such be responsible for paying the vendor and submitting requests for reimbursement to the City of Kingston.

Ineligible Applicants

-Religious institutions

-Private membership-based organizations

-Municipalities

Eligible Activities/Expenses for Reimbursement

-Signage; projecting sign or wall sign

-Awnings

*Lighting is an eligible expense if it is part of a signage or awning project and can be completed by the same vendor

Expenses Ineligible for Reimbursement or Match

-In-kind services or items

-Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the grant agreement

Key Dates

Application Opens: March 13, 2026

Application Deadline: April 17, 2026, 4:30pm

Awards Announced: April 30, 2026

Contract Start Date: May 30, 2026

Deadline for Construction to Begin: August 30, 2026

Construction Completion Date: October 31, 2026

Contract End Date: November 30, 2026

Last Day to Submit Reimbursement Requests: November 30, 2026

Application Process

Applicants are asked to include an accurate total project cost in their application. To do so, applicants must attain an itemized estimate and design specifications from a professional vendor. Those documents (estimate and design specifications) must be included in the application. This process of the applicant attaining an estimate is sperate from the City’s responsibility of attaining two estimates, as described in more detail below, which is per the State’s procurement policy, and will be done after awardees are selected and notified.

Applicants must meet with the Planning Department to review their designs, either before or after obtaining the estimate and design specifications. In most cases, a desk review by the Planning Department will suffice as approval for your design. Please include with application your letter of approval from the Planning Department. Only applications with these attachments will be reviewed.

Award Amount

*Total Project Cost cannot exceed $10,000

Grant Award Maximum: $9,000

Grant Award Minimum: $1,000

Additional info

In early April, City officials will be communicating with property owners offering the option to have the City provide a more permanent repair to the sign board area. All property owners who grant permission will be part of a City bid for the sign board façade work, which will likely take place this summer when weather conditions improve.

Property owners choosing to move forward with their own façade restoration work will have the support of the City of Kingston’s Planning Office with historic design resources. Property owners will need to follow Historic Landmark Preservation Commission (HLPC) guidelines.

City contractors, Beam Construction, will be responsible for maintaining the black plastic ice/water shield on building façade until August 27, 2026. After that point, the building owner will be fully responsible. The City- provided sign board work, for those properties who request it, will be completed to correspond with the end of ice/water shield warranty.

City staff in the Planning Office are available for deskside reviews of restoration plans. The Planning Office can be reached at 845-334-3955 or planning@kingston-ny.gov.

Fees associated with the signage and façade reviews will be waived until October 2027.