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Auburn City Council approves federal recovery funds for local nonprofits

The Citizen - 9/24/2022

Sep. 23—AUBURN — Several Auburn nonprofits working to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved to receive federal funding.

At its meeting Thursday, the Auburn City Council accepted two resolutions authorizing two separate set of funding awards from the American Rescue Plan relief bill, with the money going to entities in the area. One set of funding is for nonprofit direct benefit recovery and the other is for nonprofit recovery programs and capital improvements.

Both resolutions said in August 2021, council approved a resolution allocating $1.25 million in ARPA funds to support a Non-Profit Recovery Program meant to help nonprofits negatively affected by the pandemic

The U.S. Treasury Department issued the Final Rule in April 2022, the resolutions said, giving updated guidance on allowable usage of the money in relation to the public health emergency, negative economic impacts within a community, premium pay for essential workers, public sector revenue loss and infrastructure investments.

City staff released a request for applications to nonprofits for sets of funding. On July 29, Auburn got back 12 applications from different nonprofit organizations for direct benefit funding, and received 20 applications from entities for recovery programs and capital improvements. Some nonprofits are receiving money from both sets of funding, including ABC Cayuga, Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity and the Auburn YMCA and WEIU.

Before council voted on the ARPA recovery programs and capital improvements resolution, Councilor Jimmy Giannettino said the groups listed in both resolutions were doing "difficult work, but necessary work" before the pandemic.

"During, COVID, post-COVID, it's become even more difficult, even more necessary, and I just want to acknowledge all of them, thank them and I'm glad that we can do do our part to help them through the American Rescue Plan," he said.

In other news

—The city will be allowed to apply for state grant funding to assist in financing a developer's downtown building restoration project.

Council approved a resolution authorizing Auburn to apply for $1.75 million in funding from Empire State Development through the Restore NY Communities Initiative. The money will help R&M Real Estate Group rehabilitate 22 E. Genesee St., a three-story, 13,000-square-foot structure within the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District. R&M, which has redeveloped several downtown properties properties over the years, intends to convert the property for mixed-use, with first floor commercial space and upper floor apartments.

Planned upgrades include new plumbing, electrical, HVAC and sprinkler system and windows, bathrooms and kitchen for the apartments. The estimated total cost is $2,575,000.

A public hearing on the city's application for the funding was held during the Sept. 15 council meeting.

—The city sold one of its properties to a nonprofit affordable housing developer and property manager that intends to turn the space into apartments.

City council authorized a resolution approving the sale of the city-owned property 197 State St. to the Syracuse-based Housing Visions. The resolution, on the city's website, said the spot is approximately .54 acres and has a commercial building and adjoining parking lot.

Housing Vision Consultants proposes investing $5.6 million into renovating the building, creating 16 one bedroom apartments "together with community space," the resolution said, also noting it is a surplus parcel and isn't needed for city purposes.

Additional terms and conditions for the agreement are that Auburn "provides only a Quit Claim Deed to the buyers at closing," the buyers handle paying for all title and closing costs and the deed must have a condition that renovations on the property be finished on or before Dec. 31, 2026, or the title will automatically go back to the city.

The council also approved a resolution supporting the redevelopment of the State Street property. That resolution said Housing Visions Consultants is "proposing to acquire and redevelop several properties through the City of Auburn and redevelop them into emergency shelter housing, permanent supportive housing, and quality affordable housing for low to moderate income families." The parcel also requires substantial renovation and is one of the properties the nonprofit wants to obtain, the resolution said. The resolution was approved unanimously by the council.

Cayuga County is assisting Housing Visions Consultants in their work to rehabilitate the property, the resolution said, by applying for a Restore NY grant through the municipal grant program administered by Empire State Development. Housing Visions is asking the county Legislature to support an application for $2 million from the Restore NY grant to help the nonprofit secure and develop the State Street property. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for the Legislature's Sept. 27 meeting.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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