Apr 10, 2007 By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – A town meeting is being held Thursday at the South Brownsville Fire Hall to discuss community improvements through the Elm Street program. Alison McConnell, executive director of the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. (BARC), said the program eventually could result in grants directly to homeowners for improvements to their properties. It is an offshoot of the Main Street program that provides funding for improvements in commercial districts.

“It’s a national program, but Pennsylvania has one of the most active and most successful Main Street and Elm Street programs. Brownsville doesn’t qualify for a Main Street program because we don’t have enough population or commerce,” McConnell said.

McConnell said the most important thing Brownsville needs for a successful Elm Street program is a group of interested citizens.

According to the Elm Street Web site at www.NewPA.com, in order to qualify for an Elm Street grant a municipality or its designated agency must show that there is explicit support for the targeted neighborhood residents and others within the proposed project area.

The project must target a residential or mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented district, preferably within a local historic district and typically within a half-mile of a commercial district.

Brownsville’s downtown and North Side residential districts received historic designations years ago and the downtown area is part of a targeted enforcement area to eradicate blight.

The area must also be in need of revitalization, as indicated by crime rates, poverty, unemployment, deteriorated or dilapidated housing stock, blighted buildings or reduced homeownership rates.

At a council meeting earlier this year, questions were raised as to whether BARC is qualified to apply for an Elm Street grant. According to program information, applicants can be municipalities, redevelopment authorities or economic development corporations or similar organizations. One requirement for consideration is that there is an organization in place that will oversee the Elm Street plan and the activities of the Elm Street manager.

“We are the community development corporation. We’re already formed. We are qualified to run it. We have handled large grants in the past and I am qualified to write grants,” McConnell said. “If the residents who show up want the council to run it, fine. There aren’t going to be any administration fees. It’s just a good project for the community. I can’t see any negative to the project at all.”

McConnell said the first step for communities approved for Elm Street grants is to hire a consultant to develop a community plan. The program requires that a professional develop a plan. The second step involves hiring an Elm Street manager to carry out the plan in a five-year program. The program will provide a grant of up to $225,000 over a five-year period for a manager, with the community putting up 10 percent.

McConnell said that because of those two requirements of the Elm Street program, it could be two to three years before individual homeowners receive any grant money.

“If we don’t start now, it’s going to be two to three years beyond that, or never,” McConnell said.

The Elm Street meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the South Brownsville Fire Hall on Water Street.