Show Low council approves applying for CDBG funds to acquire senior center dining room

The Show Low City Council voted to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and authorized staff to submit an application to acquire the rear/dining room area of the Show Low Senior Center.

City staff told the council the Arizona Department of Housing is offering roughly $280,000 in CDBG funds to the city for projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents. "Approximately $280,000 is being offered to the city of Show Low by the Arizona Department of Housing through the Community Development Block Grant or the CDBG program," staff said during the public hearing. The staff recommendation was to use the funds to purchase the dining room so the city would own the whole building and be eligible for future renovation grants.

The item had been discussed at a prior public hearing and at the council retreat. Council members asked whether acquisition would allow future grant-funded renovations; staff replied that the city cannot renovate a building with grant funds unless the city owns the property, and purchasing the final portion of the structure would enable future applications. Council members also noted the Department of Housing had recently tightened eligibility for a prior proposed sidewalk project along Ninth Street, which was disqualified as a slum/blight project for this funding cycle.

Councilman Adams moved to apply for the CDBG funds, approve the senior-center acquisition as the project's priority, and adopt Resolution R2025-40 authorizing submission of the application and rescinding Resolution R2025-13. The motion was seconded and passed (vote tallies not specified on the record).

The council directed staff to submit the application to the Northern Arizona Council of Governments and sign any necessary assurances. Staff indicated an appraisal of the senior-center portion is pending and that the city may not need the full grant amount depending on the appraisal and negotiated purchase price.

The CDBG program requires beneficiary documentation that the project serves low- and moderate-income persons; staff stated the senior center serves persons aged 63 and older and that at least 51% of beneficiaries would be elderly. The council approved the submission and the resolution authorizing the application.

Council members and staff noted future CDBG or other competitive opportunities could be used for other projects such as renovations to the Heuning House, but those would require separate application cycles and eligibility review by the Department of Housing.

The council’s decision establishes the senior-center acquisition as the city’s priority project for this CDBG opportunity and allows staff to proceed with the application process.

The council did not provide a detailed vote tally in the public record for the motion.