ADRIAN — A lengthy application process is to blame for any type of holdup in funding attributed to state rewarded grant dollars coming to Adrian.
The city should have a better understanding of all documentation related to the state of Michigan’s MI Neighborhood grant program by mid-September, according to an update earlier this month from Jay Marks, Adrian Main Street executive director. The state’s timeline is based off the start of the new fiscal year, which is Oct. 1. As of now, Marks said, the city is amidst the paperwork phase of the funding process.
The MI Neighborhood grant program is offered to qualifying Michigan communities through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Adrian is among those communities to be awarded grant funds — $475,000 worth — that are to be used for the assistance and repair of residential house projects and blighted residential properties in the city.
There are two components of the funding: $400,000 that will be available for single family, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation and $75,000 which will address placemaking efforts — enhancements located within a downtown or in an adjacent area to a downtown.
The state is using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars to fund the award.
