By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Downtown redevelopment and affordable housing would be the beneficiaries of block grant money through 2010, according to city officials.

Lewiston released its strategic block grant plan for the next five years Thursday, presenting copies to the public. The plan is a general map of how the city plans to use federal Community Development Block Grant money for the next five years.

“It doesn’t get into actual dollar amounts at this stage,” said Lincoln Jeffers, city economic and community development deputy director. “That will come later. This is just a discussion of spending trends.”

Two things stand out, Jeffers said. First, the city hopes to put more money into its commercial grant programs.

Those are grants and loans the city offers for businesses redeveloping in the core areas. The money comes in the form of facade grants, which help give old, privately owned buildings a face-lift, elevator grants and rehabilitation loans.

The city also hopes to expand spending for affordable housing, especially in the downtown area.

“The key is using city money – specifically, block grant money – to leverage other, private kinds of investment,” Jeffers said. “I think that’s what we have to expect for all of those areas in the coming years.”

Lewiston has received block grant money since the program began in 1974. It received $1.18 million for the current fiscal year.

Jeffers said the city will take public comment for the next 30 days.

Those comments will be worked into the report, and a second public hearing will be scheduled late in March.

The report is to be finished and approved by the City Council before May 15, when it will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The plan is available online at the city’s Web site, ci.lewiston.me.us.

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