Normal Bone Grant Program

How it works

The Bone Grant Program is a matching grant program administered through the Town of Normal’s historic preservation process. Applicants must first obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before the commission will consider the grant request, except that owner-occupied residential properties are exempt from that requirement.

What the money covers

The town says grant funds may be used only for materials and/or skilled, professional labor. The official page lists commonly approved projects such as:

• brickwork repair and replacement
• restoration of historic roofing materials, including clay or slate tiles
• replacement of non-historic or inoperable windows and doors with historically appropriate ones
• restoration of deteriorated historic exteriors such as wood siding or stucco cladding

The page also specifically says the program funds repair or replacement of slate or tile roofs.

Amounts and matching

• Up to 50% of eligible project costs.
• Maximum of $6,000 per property per year for non-roof grants.
• Separate roof grants can reach $20,000 on a 50/50 basis.
• Within the same fiscal year, prior non-roof grants reduce the roof maximum dollar-for-dollar.
• No project may be funded for work that has already started or been completed.
• Funds are reimbursement-based.

How to apply

The town says the application must be filed with staff by the end of a month for consideration at the following month’s commission meeting.

Timing and deadlines

The official page does not publish a yearly application cycle or end date. The process is rolling by monthly commission agenda timing.