Council approves CDBG grant application
SIDNEY -- The Sidney City Council recently approved applying for a Community Development Block Grant that could expand the options for the Historic Preservation Board.
By News Channel Nebraska
SIDNEY -- The Sidney City Council recently approved applying for a Community Development Block Grant that could expand the options for the Historic Preservation Board.
"What this essentially is ... there is several different CDBG grants you can apply for. Some of them don't apply to your city, some of them do. This one happens to fit very, very nicely with the Historic Preservation Board already does. What this grant is for is exactly what we already do. Its restoration, renovation, replacement and reconstruction of signage, awnings and doors, bricks, stucco and masonry, exterior service repair, restoration, for the purpose of historic preservation restoration and install," City Manager David Scott said.
Scott said the grant is for $415,000, with a $100,000 match from the Historic Preservation Board. He said the board spends for this type of projects currently.
"What it will allow us to do, and I was very pleased with the conversation at the Historic Preservation Board meeting this afternoon
, right now our maximum is up to $20,000. What this will do, it won't run directly through the preservation board, but it will run through the State, because it is a grant, they will follow the exact same guidelines. It will allow them to start doing some larger renovation projects. There are a lot of buildings in very bad need of some brick work. That is very expensive," he said.
If the City is awarded the grant, the Historic Preservation Board will be able to approve grants up to $100,000.
In his memo to the city council, Scott said CDBG funds can be used for downtown revitalization projects. The purpose of the Downtown Revitalization (DTR) Opportunity is to leverage investments that assist in commercial revitalization within the traditional business centers of Nebraska communities. The funds will be used for commercial rehabilitation of privately-owned commercial property occupied by a business tenant or the commercial property owner's business. This activity is limited to exterior facade improvements.