LISBON – Selectmen have authorized Development Director Dan Feeney to submit an application for a $500,000 revitalization grant for downtown Lisbon Falls.

The application is due Jan. 14 and a decision is expected before the annual town meeting. If approved, it will go to voters at town meeting in May for acceptance, and to raise the necessary local match, said Town Manager Curtis Lunt.

The match will include existing loan programs to fund upgrades to existing businesses and startups. Also, the Public Works Department will provide available materials such as loam, sand, gravel and in-kind labor.

In a presentation to selectmen this week, Feeney explained that the general work plan would include adding sidewalks on Booker, Bend and Middle streets, along with some landscaping.

On Union Street, sidewalks will be replaced and overhead electrical lines will be buried. Landscaping will include adding trees and benches and “soft-scaping” with appropriate lighting in the area.

There are also plans to negotiate the purchase and removal of two buildings, the Food City grocery store and a dwelling on Union Street next to the library. Food City will relocate to a new store on Route 196 that is currently under construction.

Feeney envisions making an “urban park” in both areas, using greenery and “durable scape,” such as stone and hard surfaces, blended with evergreen and other durable plants.

Plans also include adding much-needed parking in the Food City area and possibly making available a strip of that property to abutters to expand their businesses and assist the local match.

Another upgrade would be to improve the facade on the rear of buildings on Main Street. They will become visible when the Food City building is removed. This would also include pavement overlay, lighting and some greenery.

“We want the area to be welcoming with lots of green space that is now lacking,” Lunt said. If the grant is approved, the town will appoint a committee made up of business people and residents who will be involved in planning.