HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Town Council is serving to a developer search for funding to renovate element of a downtown professional setting up into 10 flats.
The town will file an application for a nearly $500,000 condition Local community Enhancement Block Grant on behalf of Shiretown Attributes LLC this 7 days based on the council’s unanimous vote in favor of the action Monday, Might 16.
The council’s determination will come following a tragic a few-tale multi-unit condominium constructing fireplace on Mechanic Road in March killed a 4-calendar year-previous boy and remaining 38 individuals homeless, generating an already really serious want for economical housing in Houlton even worse.
Houlton Neighborhood Development Director Nancy Ketch stated there is a tremendous need for far more housing and that the proposed undertaking would transform present-day commercial house to 10 household models, with a sprinkler method, vitality-successful updates and parking place paving.
The new apartments will be developed on the next floor of the Crucial Financial institution constructing at the corner of Marketplace Square and Drinking water Avenue.
To fulfill CDBG tips, 51 percent, or six of the units, would be selected for very low-to-reasonable cash flow individual persons or people, Ketch mentioned.
Developer John Harvell stressed this is not point out-subsidized housing. The vote in favor of implementing for the grant revenue was held soon after a general public listening to.
“I am very significantly in favor of this project. I think it’s an superb repurpose of this developing. It addresses reasonably priced housing here in the town of Houlton, and I think it is going to be an remarkable boon to the downtown area,” Councilor Sue Tortello mentioned all through the public listening to Monday evening.
If the undertaking is funded, the existing 2nd-ground company tenants will move to other downtown spots.
Northern Lighthouse on the to start with flooring is going out of the constructing and Community Health and Counseling Solutions, presently on the second flooring, will shift into that place, Harvell claimed. This grant software is via the CDBG Housing Support Program. Although Houlton has been awarded other CDBG grants, this is the 1st Housing Assistance Program application the city has created, Ketch reported.
The KeyBank building at 41 Current market Sq. is for commercial use on the very first and 2nd flooring and the third is residential. If the venture proceeds, the second ground would turn into absolutely household, demanding a new sprinkler technique on both the second and 3rd flooring.
In March, the city submitted a letter of intent to the point out pertaining to the funding and was then invited to implement. Ketch said this to some degree narrows the level of competition for the grant cash. This 12 months, the Housing Support Software has $20 million that will be dispersed during the state.
“The reality that we had been invited to apply is a fairly very good indication,” Ketch explained. “It’s even now no assurance.”
The grant programs will be judged on a issue system — group effects (40 factors), enhancement system (40 details), resident assistance ( 20 points) — and major scoring candidates will then be invited to participate in the job advancement section. Even now, this does not ensure funding. Awards will be declared at the stop of the enhancement period.
Ketch claimed the city will possible hear about the status of its application in late June.
“Because there is such a need, we are fired up to be included in the method,” Ketch stated on Tuesday. “This venture will be good for the community.”
Councilors Mark Horvath and James Peters were being absent.
