City Divvies Up Money For Neighborhoods

The Spokane City Council Monday approved grant allocations to seven South Side neighborhoods.

Nearly $400,000 will be spent on projects identified by the steering committees in each of the neighborhoods. The money will go to sidewalk repairs, housing rehabilitation, street tree replacements and social services.

The money is part of the city’s annual allocation of federal community development money and is targeted to neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income residents.

In all, the city receives nearly $6 million in federal community development block grants as well as money for new housing developments.

The East Central Neighborhood is receiving $144,000.

Of that, $20,000 will go for new playground equipment at the Southeast Day Care Center. Another $10,000 will pay for a new entry door to the medical clinic at the East Central Community Center.

Traffic safety improvements in the neighborhood will get about $30,000.

A smaller allocation of $25,000 is going to the Peaceful Valley neighborhood.

The largest share of that money will go to improvements at the Peaceful Valley Community Center. Also, playground equipment is being purchased for Glover Field.

The downtown area is slated to receive $59,400. More than $50,000 will be spent on rehabilitation of existing apartment houses.

At Lincoln Heights, the neighborhood steering committee is spending $21,250 on housing rehabilitation out of an allocation of $25,000.

In Browne’s Addition, sidewalk reconstruction and street tree replacement will use up nearly $22,000 of the $40,500 allocation.

Latah Creek’s steering committee will spend $11,250 on improvements to Wentel Grant Park out of a total of $25,000.

Historic Cannon’s Addition, which in years past put money aside for its new park, is spending $14,500 on sidewalk reconstruction this year out of a $25,000 grant.

Each of the city’s community centers will receive operating money from the block grants.

The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery will get $8,490. It’s one of seven charitable organizations receiving money.

, DataTimes