The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) awarded $350,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to the City of Albion for Downtown Revitalization (DTR).

The $350,000 in grant funds, as well as $107,450 in local matching funds that are being provided by the Albion Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), will be used for the continuation of the City’s existing façade improvement program.

“The City of Albion is extremely fortunate to have elected leadership that has committed the time and resources necessary to develop a long-term plan for revitalization of the downtown business district,” said City Administrator Andrew Devine.  “The Albion Economic Development Corporation, the Albion Downtown Revitalization Committee, and the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District have been and will remain instrumental partners with the City on this opportunity to kick-start the Downtown Revitalization process.”

The Northeast Nebraska Development District (NENEDD) plans to hold workshops for business owners within the Downtown Revitalization Area to provide more information on program eligibility, guidelines, and the how to apply for funding; however, there are several CDBG administrative requirements to check off prior to the initiation of the DTR Façade Improvement Funding Program.

The intent of the DTR planning and implementation grant program is to develop a strategy for improving businesses and infrastructure within any given community’s central business district.  The City of Albion was awarded a DTR Planning Grant in 2016 and in 2017 submitted the resulting plan within a DTR Implementation Grant application requesting $350,000 to implement Downtown Façade Improvement which had been identified as the highest priority by the DTR Committee.

The City may apply for future implementation grants for other activities once the current implementation grant funds are utilized and the current grant is closed out.  The City may also make budget considerations for other public improvements identified within the DTR plan independent of future grant applications, and/or utilize the DTR plan as a guide to encourage private investment toward improvements within the Downtown Revitalization Area.

The full DTR plan is available at City Hall or at the following link:  Albion Downtown Revitalization Plan

The CDBG Downtown Revitalization Category is open to CDBG non-entitlement incorporated municipalities throughout Nebraska. Grants are administered by DED from the State’s annual allocation of CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Communities that successfully complete the planning phase have the opportunity to apply for Phase II (implementation) resources, which may include up to $350,000 per community for implementing the CDBG-eligible activities defined in the approved plans.

Application materials are available by clicking here:  Albion Downtown Revitalization Facade Improvement Grant Application and Guidelines

DTR Area Map below indicates boundaries of and potential future improvements of the Downtown area as incorporated within the Albion Downtown Revitalization Plan