Council backs North End Gateway as Round 2 CDBG‑DR pre-application priority

City staff recommended the North End Gateway as the city’s top candidate for the CDBG‑DR Round 2 pre-application, focusing on elevations and buyouts and reserving acquisitions only if a developer can be identified. "Our recommended Round 2 application is doing just the North End Gateway project at this point," the manager (S5) said, outlining a plan to pre-apply for the $10 million maximum award to preserve flexibility for the final submission.

Councilors and staff debated whether to include acquisition pieces that require an identified developer. Several councilors favored splitting applications (acquisitions separate from elevations/buyouts) to avoid jeopardizing the elevation work if funds are limited. Resident concerns were raised about homeowner inclusion in the project area; staff said they had contacted all property owners and would resurvey owners for interest in buyouts or elevations while being mindful of the state’s smaller available pot for Round 2 (~$14.5M).

Staff outlined a schedule: pre-apply Jan. 12, publish a public hearing notice Jan. 23, hold the public hearing at the Feb. 10 council meeting, and submit full applications by Feb. 27. The manager cautioned the success of acquisition requests depends on developer interest and state discretion.