The city of Jefferson is on its own to repair the building at 205 N. Wilson. Jefferson Matters: Main Street has received notification that the application for a $75,000 Challenge grant was not successful. The proposed project would have refurbished the exterior and done enough interior work to make the building marketable. The grant application called for a $75,000 match from the city.
City administrator Mike Palmer told the board of supervisors Monday that it is the city’s intention still to spend $75,000 on the building. “We’ll go ahead and spend our match as far as we can,” Palmer said.
The grant application may be submitted again in the next funding cycle. He said that not having a specific intended use for the interior of the building was not favorable in scoring the application.
The city council accepted the gift of the building and $5,000 towards its repair last summer. At the time, the intention was to empty the building of abandoned items and clean it and air it out. The hope was the building could be ready for sale with volunteer labor provided by Jefferson Matters and the $5,000 for materials.
Palmer also told the supervisors the city has delayed closing on the purchase of 111 E. Lincoln Way (just west of Sally’s Alley) in order to qualify for a Brownfields grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to cover part of the cost of asbestos removal.
The plan for that building is still to patch the roof as soon as possible and put on a new roof in the spring. The city will abate a mold problem and repair other damage caused by the leaking roof, and then sell the building.
Palmer also updated the supervisors on the status of a Community Development Block Grant application for downtown revitalization. An architect has been selected to prepare plans and staff at Region XII Council of Governments is writing the grant application. Ed Basch of the Iowa Economic Development Authority visited Jefferson Oct. 5 to survey the buildings and to provide information about the CDBG process.
Palmer said that according to Basch, Jefferson may have a difficult time proving there is enough blight to qualify for the highly competitive grant funds. Palmer said “Plan B” is to do what can be done with the $250,000 the city has earmarked as matching funds, or to seek and follow outside advice.
