The 2017 Community Development Block Grant will be used to fix aging sidewalks and fight blight in Bradford City.
The second of two public hearings on the grant was held Tuesday evening prior to the regular city council meeting.
Sara Andrews, executive director of the Office of Economic and Community Development, said the city plans to use the $269,215 grant for two projects: $160,000 for the Main Street streetscape project, and the remainder for the city’s demolition program.
At the first public hearing in September, she talked about the results of a recent Family Income Survey.
“We determined that 69.36 percent of the city’s residents are low to moderate income,” said Andrews — a number that she feels is more accurate than what the 2010 Census showed.
The results of the 2010 Census precluded the city from using CDBG funds for projects with a community-wide benefit. With the new survey results, the city will again be able to use the grant for city-wide benefit activities.
To that end, block grant funds will go toward improving the Main Street streetscape and demolishing four or five blighted structures.
Andrews shared a map with an analysis of the condition of the sidewalks along Main Street, many of which are in need of repair immediately or in the near future. She explained a lot of the sidewalks and curbs were put in in 1989, and the light poles were installed in 2002.
According to Andrews, the city is looking at roughly $4 million from different sources to fix the street infrastructure in the downtown area. She hopes the city will be able to complete Phase I and possibly Phase II of the streetscape project in 2018.
A brief regular council meeting followed the public hearing.
At the meeting, council passed a resolution allowing the sale of properties on Howard and State streets to the McKean County Housing Authority.
The resolution states the authority plans to purchase the following city-owned properties to construct affordable housing: 10, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 24 Howard St.; Howard Place/State Street Alley; and 24 and 44-48 State St.
“Overall, it’s not creating new low incomes houses,” Mayor Tom Riel noted, explaining they will just be replacing housing that may be torn down.
Before the authority can purchase the properties and start the project, it must obtain funding, and zoning and construction permits, the resolution indicated.
Also regarding city-owned properties, council approved the subdivision of land changes on Congress Place and Chestnut and Elm streets.
Council will meet next at 7 p.m. Oct. 24.
