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City staff outlines Country Club Road developer selection and multiple grant applications
Summary
Staff told the planning commission the city is seeking a developer for the Country Club Road site, is filing several disaster-recovery and catalyst grant applications, and is weighing design changes including lowering the road grade and elevating Route 2.
City planning staff told the commission the city has multiple grant applications under way and is moving to secure a developer for the Country Club Road redevelopment, and explained the anticipated procurement and design schedule.
Staff update: the city has submitted four disaster-recovery grant applications for projects and learned that Downstreet Housing submitted two applications for projects on Heaton Street; staff also reported a private project on Northfield Street seeking funding for about 28 units. Separately, the city received approval to submit a pre-application for the Northern Borders (often called the catalyst) grant to support infrastructure on Country Club Road.
Developer procurement: staff said the city could not apply earlier for disaster recovery funding for Country Club Road because there was no developer under contract who would commit to building the housing component. To address that, staff plan a two-step approach: first solicit letters of interest and then issue a short RFP or invitation to a small, shortlisted group (1–3 developers) to prepare refined proposals. Staff said they hope to have letters of interest by year’s end and select a developer within roughly 9–12 months, with a developer potentially under contract by this time next year.
Design and infrastructure decisions: staff said final designs for Country Club Road are being finalized and noted a possible change to lower the existing road grade from about 13.5 percent to 12 percent. That work would also realign the intersection, add a sidewalk, and may include elevating Route 2 — an option DPW and staff favor if the city will already be digging up the road to install sewer and water. Staff said doing both the utility work and grade adjustments together would be more efficient than staging separate projects.
Why it matters: staff and commissioners said securing a developer and coordinating infrastructure work will determine eligibility for several funding sources and influence the timing and scale of housing built at the site.
Next steps: staff will finish the RFP materials and proceed with outreach to developers; they also said grant application windows close in coming weeks, after which the city will enter a waiting period while funders screen and award grants.
