Historic Businesses In Plainfield Can Apply For Grant To Protect Buildings With Fire Sprinklers

Congratulations Plainfield Fire Chief Jon Stratton, Fire Marshal Mary Kay Ludemann, their Board of Trustees and the Village of Plainfield.

The grant program is designed for existing commercial structures that require the installation of a fire sprinkler system in the historic downtown area. The Village and Fire District will split the cost of the reimbursement grants 50/50.

The primary goal of this program is to enhance the safety of the business environment while lessening the financial burden a business/property owner may incur, but it also encourages the reuse and repurposing of Plainfield’s oldest structures. By incentivizing this safety requirement, the hope is to expedite this change creating an all-around safer business district for all property owners, businesses and patrons.

The program can be in combination with the new tax reform act, which allows a business owner to expend the total cost of a system, which will remove all financial and political obstacles to retrofitting a building as needed.

NIFSAB commends the Mayor of Plainfield, Michael P. Collins and the Village Trustees, along with the Fire District Board President William Barnes and the District Trustees for supporting the initiative and making the program a reality.

The Program:
20% of the total cost of qualified improvements below and maximum grant reimbursement of $20,000 (or maximum $100,000 total project cost of qualified improvements).

The following are the qualified improvements that can be considered reimbursable under this GRANT program:

• Fire sprinkler system equipment/installation.
• Associated fire alarm systems/installation.
• Architect costs directly associated to the fire sprinkler
  system installation (qualified cost not to exceed 10% of the construction costs).

Lockport Doesn’t Want To Gamble With Fire Safety

City’s video gaming revenues fund grant program to create fire-safe buildings.

The city of Lockport offers a unique grant program to encourage the installation of fire sprinklers and smoke alarms in its historic downtown district. The grants are funded through the city’s video gaming revenues.

Following a rash of downtown fires, city building officials and then chief of the Lockport Township Fire Protection District David Skoryi created the resolution to help the historic buildings meet current codes. The program provides an incentive for property owners to enhance the protection of their structures and occupants, as well as to improve the economic viability of the properties. In turn, it will also preserve vital property and sales taxes.

Currently, more than 900 Illinois jurisdictions benefit from video gaming revenues. Is your community one of those that could benefit from a fire sprinkler and smoke alarm grant program?

As a further incentive to install fire sprinklers, small business owners can also take advantage of NEW FEDERAL TAX REFORM changes in Section 179 of the tax code, which allow fire sprinklers to be fully expensed within the first year of installation. (See nfsa.org/taxreform for more information).

Fire sprinklers save lives and property. When they operate, they are effective in 96% of fires. (NFPA, “U.S. Experience with Sprinklers,” July 2017)

Join Lockport and use video gaming revenues and Federal Tax Incentives to help your community become safer from fire.  Fire Sprinklers are a safe bet!