Grants to Nebraska qualifying municipalities to support the development of local business areas. Funding is intended to support the implementation of projects that will restore or revitalize downtown infrastructure, address safety and health concerns, and develop the capacity for commercial growth. Funded activities must meet the national objective of benefitting low- and moderate-income persons or aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight. Eligible applicants include Nebraska incorporated municipalities with a population of less than 50,000 that are not classified as a CDBG Entitlement Community.

CDBG funds can be utilized for downtown revitalization projects. The purpose of the Downtown Revitalization (DTR) Opportunity is to leverage investments that will contribute to the revitalization or redevelopment of downtown infrastructure and develop a greater capacity for growth, addressing health and safety concerns and commercial revitalization within the traditional business centers of Nebraska communities. This provides a sound basis for fostering local economic development through public and private sector partnerships. This recognizes the importance of the condition and viability of a downtown to increase the community’s tax base and cultivates a tangible center for community activity. These projects directly relate to business retention, expansion, and location decisions, but also address public gathering space, recognizing that downtowns reflect the economic core and persona of our communities.

Activities assist communities in their implementation of comprehensive downtown revitalization plan to stabilize and enhance clearly defined downtown areas, providing benefit to low- and moderate-income residents of the community or aid in the elimination of substandard or blighted structures and areas in the downtown.

DTR resources are for implementation of the project (i.e., physical improvements to the built environment); such funds become available to the applicant upon successful completion of the requirements of a downtown revitalization predevelopment/planning study. Because responsible, intelligent implementation arises from well-informed planning processes, applicant must make available their DTR study prior to, or along with the application for DTR resources. Use of CDBG resources for planning activities is not required to access DTR resources.

The primary objective for the CDBG program is benefit to low- and moderate-income communities; therefore, priority is given to projects meeting the primary national objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons. Activities proposed in applications for CDBG funding in the DTR Opportunity must meet the national objective of benefitting low- and moderate-income persons (through the subcategories LMI Area Benefit and/or, LMI Limited Clientele) or aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight on an area (SBA). 

For a list of priority activities, see https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Application-Guidelines_20220613_Final.pdf#page=32.