Sandpoint says CRISI grant loss pauses Great Northern realignment as staff seek smaller stormwater wins

Sandpoint officials told the Urban Renewal Agency on Feb. 4 that the city did not receive a competing CRISI grant that had been targeted to fund the Great Northern realignment and related work, and that absence of that award leaves the full project unfunded as originally conceived.

Mayor Graham told the board, “we did not receive the CRISI grant, that second grant for the Great Northern project, which we've invested greatly in design.” He said the denial affects the city’s match strategy: staff had planned roughly $6 million in match funds and expected approximately $23 million in grant funding; without the grant the city lacks the full funding package to proceed at the previously expected scope.

Staff said they will re‑examine project components and prioritize stormwater and drainage improvements that can be completed with existing resources or smaller grants. Eric Paul (Chairman) and staff noted particular drainage issues near the Cox property and Dover Wings and said some stormwater design elements from the larger plan could be extracted and advanced.

Constraints and partners: Staff emphasized that the Great Northern corridor project interfaces with private property owners and BNSF Railway, which controls right‑of‑way adjacent to the project area. That means some design options will require negotiation, easements or coordination with third parties.

Next steps: City staff will continue to evaluate scaled options, seek alternative funding where feasible and provide updates to the board when a recommended path forward is identified. No formal action was taken on Feb. 4.