Northalsted SSA 18 Security Rebate Program

This is the online application to apply for a rebate through the Northalsted SSA 18 Security Rebate Program. If you have any questions while completing this application, email [email protected] or call 773-883-0500.

Program Guidelines

1. Description

The Security Rebate Program (the “Program”) was created and approved by the Northalsted Special Service Area 18 (“SSA 18”) Commission to provide incentives designed to enhance the security of your business and the local commercial area. The program is managed by the Northalsted Business Alliance and is funded solely by City of Chicago SSA 18 and provides financial and technical assistance to commercial owners and/or tenants. The applicant receives the rebate after their project is completed, all costs have been paid, and adequate documentation has been submitted. Funding is limited and applications are considered in the order in which they are received.

Applicants that meet all Program requirements outlined in this document may receive a rebate of up to 50% of eligible costs, not to exceed a total of $1,500 per business.

2. Eligible Applicants

Applicants must be located on the following SSA 18 service area corridors:

1. • Halsted Street (Belmont to Grace)
   • Broadway (Grace to Irving Park)
   • Clarendon Avenue – West Side (Broadway to Irving Park)

3. Eligible Improvements

Improvements eligible for the rebate must promote a safer environment and have a positive impact. Improvements must be completed in accordance with the specifications described in the approved application.

Eligible Improvements include:

• External surveillance system
• Purchase price or initial lease price of a camera or monitor
• External safety lighting

Special approval needed:

• Enhancements to parking lots or alleyways that promote a safer environment

Please inquire prior to starting the application process, special permission determined on case by case basis for these types of improvements.

4. Rebate Amounts

Approved applicants who make improvements that follow the guidelines of the Security Rebate Program may receive a rebate according to the following guidelines:

1. The improvement must promote a safer environment.
2. The rebated amount shall never exceed 50% of project costs up to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per business. 

In cases where several businesses have a common entrance, only the entrance shall be credited as a business.

1. Only properties within SSA #18 are eligible.

5. Application Process

Applications are subject to review and approval by the SSA 18 Board of Commissioners and a business shall only be awarded a rebate once within every three years. To apply for a rebate through the Security Rebate Program, applicants must complete the following online application. Completed applications will be reviewed at the next scheduled SSA committee meeting. In case applications exceed current funding, the SSA 18 Commission and the Northalsted Business Alliance will ensure fair and impartial distribution of rebates by employing a lottery system to determine funding order and creating a waitlist for funding should it become available. The SSA 18 Board of Commissioners may award a rebate at an amount less than the allowable maximum. Paper applications submitted via mail will not be considered eligible.

6. Review Process

After the completed application is received, it will be reviewed by the SSA Commission. This entity will review and accept or reject each application in its sole and absolute discretion. The applicant may be asked to clarify design elements if requested by the Commission.

In order to determine what projects warrant the rebate the following are the criteria for review:

• Proposed projects meet the program guidelines
• Project promotes a safer environment
• The size of the requested rebate
• Projects that have not previously been funded

Once the Commission has reviewed the application, the applicant will be sent an approval email stating the rebate amount they can expect to receive for the proposed project or an explanation of why the application was not approved.

7. Implementation

Once the application has been submitted, the applicant may proceed with the improvements in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted in their application. However, if the applicant moves ahead with the project before receiving the Approval Letter, they accept the risk that the project may not be approved for a rebate.

In order to ensure a timely project construction period, and to ensure the awarded funds are distributed within the same calendar year as the project is approved, all improvements should be completed within 90-days of the date of the Approval Letter. Failure to complete such work within the 90-day deadline shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere in the Application or related program materials, constitute a material breach of the Program requirements resulting in the withdrawal of funding for the applicant’s project without further notice of any kind. Requests for deadline extensions must be made to the SSA Service Provider in writing before the initial 90-day project period is closed.

8. Rebate Request and Distribution

Once the Improvements have been completed, the applicant must request the rebate by submitting the following documentation to the SSA Service Provider in writing:

1. Written verification that all agreed-upon work has been completed correctly
2. Before and after photographs showing the completed work
3. Copies of all paid invoices from the selected vendor(s)
4. Copies of checks or credit card receipts for all eligible work that shows all work has been paid for in full.

After the Rebate Request has been received, the Northalsted Business Alliance will inspect the project to verify compliance with the Program guidelines and pre-approved plans. A rebate check will be sent within 30 days after the final inspection has taken place, provided the inspection confirms compliance, and pending fiscal year availability of funds. In some cases, applicants who complete work in the later part of the fiscal year may not receive funds until the first part of the following fiscal year.

Program Application