Logansport seeks $750,000 state CDBG grant to preserve Memorial Center exterior

Logansport city officials on Monday moved forward with a bid for $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to restore the exterior of the Logansport Memorial Center and halt further water and pest damage.

City staff said the grant request covers only exterior, historically sensitive work; interior renovations and an ADA accessibility ramp are not included in the current application because OCRA’s historic-preservation rules make accessibility additions ineligible for this grant program. "We're asking for $750,000 in community development block grant funding from the state agency OCRA to go towards Memorial Center, basically historical preservation of the exterior of the building," a city staff member told the council during a June 2 finance committee briefing and public hearing.

The work is intended to stabilize the building’s exterior so interior restoration can proceed later. The staff presentation said the maximum OCRA award for historic preservation under the public facilities program is $750,000 and that the city is seeking the full amount. Using HUD/ACS census data, staff said the local low- to moderate-income (LMI) percentage is 54.1 percent, meaning roughly $405,750 of the requested grant would count toward area-wide LMI benefit.

Why it matters: The council’s action would commit city resources and formal support to a project that city staff says will protect a historic building and direct federal-state block grant dollars to neighborhoods where a majority of residents qualify as low to moderate income. The vote also starts a timetable: the city must submit the application by June 20, and award notifications are expected between August and September, according to staff.

Local match and project costs

City staff and the finance committee presented a planned local match of $325,510.50 to accompany the $750,000 request. Staff said about $9,000 of that match has already been spent on asbestos and lead testing and is eligible to be counted as local match. The presentation also noted an approximately $55,000 contract with Browning Day architects for exterior review and budget assistance; that contract had been executed but not invoiced, staff said.

"The updated version of the total local match that's expected to be used for this project is $325,510.50, of which approximately $9,000 has actually already been expended," the city staff member said. The staff member also said the clerk's office confirmed the remaining funds are available in the line item identified for the project.

Scope limits and accessibility

Because the grant is for historic preservation of the exterior, staff said OCRA will not allow the ADA accessibility ramp to be included in the grant scope. The ramp design has been reviewed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and staff said state reviewers are aware of plans to add the ramp later; however, the ramp remains an ineligible expense for this particular grant program.

Public input and next steps

At the public hearing several residents urged support for the project. "I just wanna say I'm here in support of Memorial Home," said Mercedes Brew, who identified herself by address during remarks to the council. Dave Kitchall, a former mayor who spoke during public comment, urged the council to back the project: "We need to support this project."

Staff encouraged residents to submit letters of support to the mayor’s office, saying OCRA gives weight to resident testimony and that residential letters describing personal memories or need would help the application. Staff said about 10–12 letters of support had already been collected and asked for more primarily from residents rather than organizations.

Council action

At the meeting the Common Council voted to pass two related resolutions: one authorizing the local match commitment and another authorizing the submittal of the Public Facilities application to OCRA. The resolutions were recorded on the docket as Resolution 20-25-131 (local match commitment) and Resolution 20-25-132 (application submittal); both were approved by the council during the June 2 session.

Timing and funding sources

Staff said the city submitted an earlier proposal April 17 after an initial public hearing in April and later met with state reviewers who provided feedback. The planned application submittal is June 20, with awards expected in August–September. Funding sources cited by staff include federal CDBG dollars administered by OCRA and the local Logansport Memorial Home Fund, which staff said will supply the local non-CDBG funds the city plans to count as match.

What remains uncertain

Staff told the council that while the ramp design has SHPO approval and OCRA staff know about the ramp plan, the ramp cannot be included as an eligible expense in this grant. The city will need to pursue separate funding for accessibility work. Staff also said some architectural and testing costs already incurred can be counted as part of the local match but noted not all contracted work had been invoiced yet.

How to follow the process

Staff said residents may submit written comments as part of the public hearing record; no written comments had been received at the time the presenter reported. The council’s passage of the two resolutions authorizes the city to proceed with the June 20 application. Award decisions from OCRA are expected in August or September, staff said. Residents who want to support the application were directed to drop letters at the mayor’s office or contact the staff presenters for more information.

Ending

The council’s approval sends Logansport’s application for exterior historic preservation funding to the state with a pledged local match of about $325,510.50. If OCRA awards the full $750,000, staff said the city will use the funds only on exterior preservation work; separate funding will be required for the ADA ramp and interior renovations.