White Box Planning Grant Program

The White Box Planning Grant Application is currently open!

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST

Download the full Notice of Funding Availability

White Box Planning Grant

Application Demo

Cody Brown, Manager of Development, explains the application process for the White Box Planning Grant. Have any additional questions? Contact us at EconomicDevelopment@toledo.oh.gov.

Program Overview

The City of Toledo, Department of Economic Development hereby announces the availability of funding for the White Box Planning Grant Program. The program is designed to equip property owners with the knowledge and resources to transform their vacant first-floor commercial space into a vibrant, code compliant, and ready-to-customize "white box" space for occupancy by a business, and to establish a pipeline of applicants for the White Box Grant Program.

The grant provides 100% of the funding comprehensive feasibility study on a vacant first-floor commercial space. Eligible buildings are located in a City designated Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) or a low to moderate income (LMI) census tract in the city of Toledo, and have no active code violation citations. Projects located in a NRSA will be prioritized for funding.

The application is open from January 29, 2025, to March 5, 2025. Applications will be reviewed and scored by the City’s Incentive Advisory Committee (IAC), using the evaluation criteria contained in this notice. The IAC consists of eight independent citizens that provide oversight of the City’s incentive programs. Upon completion of review, the IAC will recommend the top-scoring applications to the Mayor, who shall have the sole and absolute discretion to award funds.

The program is part of the City’s Vibrancy Initiative, which is designed to enhance the city’s vitality by supporting revitalization efforts that create jobs, reduce blight, and preserve and improve structures in our community. A full list of Vibrancy Initiative programs can be found here.

The City partners with business development organizations to provide application and project support to applicants at no-cost. For more information, call (419) 245-1452 or email EconomicDevelopment@toledo.oh.gov. The City and its business development partners are also hosting office hours on Wednesday, February 5, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM at the Main Library.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

Applicant owns the building for which they are applying.
Applicant is in good standing with governmental entities. To check standing, contact:Division of Taxation: (419) 245-1662
Public Utilities: (419) 245-1800
Code Enforcement: (419) 245-1400
Lucas County Auditor: (419) 213-4406*

*Ensure that all properties owned by the applicant are current on property tax.

Eligible Buildings

Eligible building uses include commercial use (non-residential), industrial use, and mixed-use. Eligible buildings must: Eligible buildings must:

Be located in the Englewood, Old South End, or Junction NRSA, or an LMI census tract in the city of Toledo.
Contain a vacant first-floor commercial space
Have no active code violation citations

Ineligible Buildings

Buildings with an exclusively single-family residential, multi-family residential, or storage use, or which contain the following businesses are ineligible:

Payday loan businesses
Pawn shops
Firearm or other weapons dealers
Adult entertainment
Self-storage

Application Process and Timeline

Schedule

Milestone	Date
Application Opens Notice of Funding Availability is released and the application opens in ZoomGrants.	Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Webinar A Zoom webinar will be held to educate potential applicants about the guidelines and application process. The webinar will be recorded and posted to the City of Toledo website. https://toledo-oh-gov.zoom.us/j/87615493266	Monday, February 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST
Office Hours Applicants are welcome to stop by the small business and nonprofit workspace at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library’s Main Library for in-person assistance with their application or project.	Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Application Submission Deadline Completed applications are due in ZoomGrants. No late application submissions, amendments to applications, or additional application documents will be accepted.	Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST
Awarded Projects Announced Applicants will be informed of the decision on their application.	Friday, April 18, 2025
Predevelopment Meeting Awarded applicants are required to meet with City officials at the project site to review proposed work.	Monday, April 21, 2025 to Friday, May 2, 2025
Grant Agreement Deadline The grant agreement and restrictive covenant must be signed by the deadline or the award will be forfeited and the next highest-scoring application will be awarded funding.	Friday, May 2, 2025
Design Phase The City will release a Request for Proposals for professional services from qualified firms. The Feasibility Study and design services will begin once the firm is selected.	Monday, May 5, 2025 to Monday, December 1, 2025
Feasibility Study Completion Deadline The comprehensive code assessment, floor plans, and construction estimate must be complete.	Monday, December 1, 2025

General Instructions

Applications must be submitted online via the Zoom Grants platform. No paper or emailed applications will be accepted. Required documentation upon submission includes:

Applicant’s W-9 (form provided in application)
Business Tax Registration Form (form provided in application)
Vendor Registration Form (form provided in application)
Copy of Commercial Building Insurance Policy
Current interior and exterior photos of the subject commercial space
Entity Operating Agreement (unless individually owned)
Board resolution authorizing entity to enter into agreement (unless individually owned)

Selection Process & Evaluation Criteria

Upon closure of the application, the Department of Economic Development will conduct an initial screening of applications to determine if all submission requirements are met. Any incomplete application will be rejected. Members of the IAC will review, evaluate, and score each eligible application using the evaluation criteria below. Upon completion of review, the IAC will then recommend the top-scoring applications to the Mayor, who shall have the sole and absolute discretion to award funds. Projects located in a NRSA will be prioritized for funding.

Criteria	Scoring	Weight	Max Score
Project Need The applicant convincingly demonstrated the necessity of conducting a feasibility study for the redevelopment of the space. A rating scale from one (1) to five (5) will be used, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. Examples of demonstrating project need could include the following: Length of time the space has remained vacant due to historical difficulties in securing long-term tenants. Number of failed leasing attempts due to the existing condition or layout of the space. Comparable data showing similar properties in the area that have undergone renovations and successfully attracted a tenant and led to increased tax revenues. Evidence that the vacant first-floor commercial space has been and is currently being marketed for lease to prospective businesses. Testimonials or letters from neighboring businesses or property owners expressing support for the renovation. Evidence of interest or letters of intent from potential tenants who would occupy the renovated space. Evidence of how the current space does not comply with modern accessibility and inclusivity standards, limiting potential tenant options.	1-5	x3	15
Historic Preservation The subject property is a building constructed prior to 1970 or has historical or design significance. Projects will be scored as follows: Zero (0): building was built post 1971; One (1): building was built prior to 1970; Two (2): building was built prior to 1950; Three (3): building was built prior to 1930; Four (4): building was built prior to 1910, Five (5): building was built prior to 1900.	0-5	x2	10
Maximum Possible Score:	25

Criteria

Scoring

Weight

Max Score

Project Need

The applicant convincingly demonstrated the necessity of conducting a feasibility study for the redevelopment of the space. A rating scale from one (1) to five (5) will be used, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. Examples of demonstrating project need could include the following:

Length of time the space has remained vacant due to historical difficulties in securing long-term tenants.
Number of failed leasing attempts due to the existing condition or layout of the space.
Comparable data showing similar properties in the area that have undergone renovations and successfully attracted a tenant and led to increased tax revenues.
Evidence that the vacant first-floor commercial space has been and is currently being marketed for lease to prospective businesses.
Testimonials or letters from neighboring businesses or property owners expressing support for the renovation.
Evidence of interest or letters of intent from potential tenants who would occupy the renovated space.
Evidence of how the current space does not comply with modern accessibility and inclusivity standards, limiting potential tenant options.

1-5

Historic Preservation

The subject property is a building constructed prior to 1970 or has historical or design significance. Projects will be scored as follows: Zero (0): building was built post 1971; One (1): building was built prior to 1970; Two (2): building was built prior to 1950; Three (3): building was built prior to 1930; Four (4): building was built prior to 1910, Five (5): building was built prior to 1900.

0-5

Maximum Possible Score:

Post Award Process

Awarded applicants will enter into a White Box Planning Grant Agreement with the City of Toledo to establish the terms and conditions by which the City will provide the funding for the code assessment and design services.

The Agreement must be signed by Friday, May 2, 2025, or the award will be forfeited and the next highest scoring application will be awarded funding.

The City will release a Request for Proposals for Professional Services from qualified firms to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on the awarded applicant’s vacant first-floor commercial space. The property owner will be required to provide the City and its consultant(s) access to the entire building to perform the assessments. The deliverables of the feasibility study will include:

Comprehensive Code Assessment: Building, fire code and accessibility standard assessment. The assessment will only apply to the vacant first-floor commercial space. However, design professionals will be asked to identify and review code upgrades that will be required to the building as a whole in order to receive a certificate of completion or certification of completion for the vacant first-floor commercial space.
Construction Drawings: Print and digital (CAD) stamped construction drawings that are required to receive a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion.
Construction Estimate: A construction cost estimate based on the assessments and other major scope items identified by the design professionals.

DISCLAIMER

The Department of Economic Development, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to modify the above dates; suspend, amend, or modify the provisions of this Notice of Funding Availability, to waive selected requirements or limitations herein, to reject all proposals, to negotiate modifications of proposals, all in its sole and absolute discretion.

Questions?

Please email your questions to EconomicDevelopment@toledo.oh.gov.