Keene wins $250,000 Resilient Community Grant; council directs staff to pursue downtown revitalization funding

City Manager Don Seitz told the Keene City Council on Nov. 6 that the city had been awarded a Resilient Community Grant and that staff will use funds to map utilities and infrastructure, produce a road-priority study and support downtown revitalization planning.

Seitz said the award provides $250,000 to the city with no required local match and could help the city qualify for additional grants. "With this, there is no matching. This is just straight money given to the city," Seitz said, adding the grant will enable mapping of utility lines and a study that factors population and growth to prioritize roads needing work.

Separately, staff recommended designating an official downtown area to make Keene eligible for a downtown revitalization grant. Seitz explained the grant’s eligibility rules — roughly 80% commercial use in the designated zone — and said a 5% local match (about $50,000) could unlock roughly $1,000,000 in grant funds. Councilmembers signaled support and directed staff to begin the application process between January and April, and to return with recommended downtown boundaries and project details.

Council and staff discussed possible uses for revitalization funding, including allocating part of the award to the city park for lighting and a skate-park concept, extending a road to improve circulation, sidewalks and other pedestrian connections.

No final project list or formal agreement was adopted on Nov. 6; council’s action was to direct staff to proceed with the application and return with more detailed proposals and cost estimates for the match and implementation.