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Community Improvement Plan

Community Improvement Plan
Community Improvement Plan

A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a planning and economic development tool that sets out a framework to assist in community revitalization and aims to achieve economic, community planning and urban development goals. Community Improvement Plans provide many community benefits by:

  • Stimulating private sector investment in the community through grants and loans from the Municipality;
  • Promoting revitalization and place-making to attract tourism, business investment and economic development opportunities;
  • Developing affordable housing;
  • Promoting brownfield cleanup and redevelopment;
  • Enhancing streetscapes and building facades;
  • Encouraging the effective use of community infrastructure.

Businesses and property owners considering participation in the CIP are encouraged to review the full program details linked below. All applicants are required to meet with Municipal staff for a pre-application meeting, with the exception of applicants to  the COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant.

2022 Community Improvement Plan Updates

The following updates have been approved as they pertain to the Community Improvement Plan in 2022. These changes come into effect immediately.

  • Council established two annual intake dates, September 15 (for the following calendar year) and April 1 (for the remainder of the calendar year), with available funding for the second intake contingent on remaining budget allocation. 
  • Applications will be deemed to be officially received by the Municipality on the date a completed CIP application has been submitted by the business or property owner.
  • Applicants will be eligible for funding support upon receipt of their application.  However, CIP grant applications MUST be approved by Council.  Any work undertaken prior to formal Council approval can not be guaranteed for grant reimbursement.
  • The Economic Development Advisory Group will be given an opportunity to review a summary of the applications and the recommendations of the Municipal multidisciplinary team prior to final recommendations being presented to Council. 
  • Council implemented a cap of $10,000 on the total financial incentives approved per property/business owner per property per year.
  • Council limited the total number of approved applications per property/business owner per property to a maximum of three over a five-year period, up to a total combined maximum of $20,000 in financial incentives. 
  • Council established limits on the types of applications approved for each property if multiple applications are received for the same location.
  • Council has identified key priority areas for 2022, which align with the Municipal Strategic Plan and goals of Council: 
    • Projects within downtown commercial areas
    • Façade, building and signage improvements
    • COVID-19 business retrofits
    • Startup space leasehold improvements
    • Conversion or expansion of vacant buildings
    • Accessibility improvements
    • Property, landscaping and parking area updates
  • Council limited participation in this program to independently owned and operated businesses that are not part of any franchise.

Please contact Economic and Community Development staff for more information about the Community Improvement Plan via ecdev@greyhighlands.ca.

Community Improvement Plan Document

The Community Improvement Plan document for (updated for 2022) is available here.

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