City Council to proceed forward with CDBG application

Sigourney- The Sigourney City Council is beginning to move forward with a grant application that could result in the improving of several downtown business facades. According to City Clerk Angie Alderson, the Sigourney City Council approved a contract with Area 15 Regional Planning Commission for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The contract would begin the formal process of applying for the grant. 

On February 20^th, the City Council heard from Area 15 senior planner Brad Grefe about the CDBG grant. The purpose of the grant would be to restore downtown building façades, in an effort to revitalize a downtown area. Grefe said that not every building would be eligible for a new façade. In order to be considered, a surveyor must come through the area and survey the buildings. That surveyor would then declare a “slum and blighted area”, which is where façade work could be done. Buildings outside of that area would not be eligible. Grefe noted that Sigourney is not the first area community to look into this type of program. Ottumwa and Oskaloosa both recently completed two different phases, with both communities each restoring over 20 facades. Oskaloosa and Ottumwa area also preparing to tackle a third phase, due to the overwhelming positive response both communities have received.

For more on this story and others, catch the March 13 edition of the News-Review.