Spring Valley residents asked to attend meeting for neighborhood improvement grant

Spring Valley will be seeking a neighborhood improvement grant.

Residents who live in the designated area can help the city acquire the grant by attending a public hearing 6:45 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, at 215 N. Greenwood St. The city is scored higher for the grant based on meeting an attendance requirement at this meeting.

The city is seeking up to $500,000 in grant funds used for home improvements in an area north and west of Spring Creek, south of Dakota Street (U.S. 6) and east of Spalding Street (Route 89).

The goal of the public hearing is to illustrate a community cooperative ideal that serves individual homeowners, improves neighborhoods and grows Spring Valley.

The money for the grant comes from $7 million given to the state of Illinois by the federal government that is divvied to towns in $550,000 increments. The cities are then allowed to spend up to $50,000 on at least 10 different properties to rehabilitate owner-occupied, single-family homes and bring them to code. Ottawa, Streator and Marseilles have applied for this funding recently.

The city will seek additional grants in other neighborhoods in the future.