By ADAM ATKINSON

CANTON — A planned modernization of the 39-year-old elevators at Grasse River Apartments may get up to $300,000 through a Community Development Block Grant.

The village is applying for the grant on behalf of the Canton Housing Authority, the agency that runs the apartments at 35 Riverside Drive.

The 7-story, 50-unit building primarily houses low-income senior and/or disabled individuals.

A required public hearing regarding the grant application was hosted by the village at the municipal building Monday night, June 18. No members of the public attended to speak to the matter.

“The non-ADA compliant elevators have almost reached their usable limit,” said Amanda St. Marie from the Housing Authority, reading from a project description. “And, the increasingly frequent malfunctions and service interruptions present an architectural barrier to the residents, negatively impacting their movements, and first responders’ abilities to provide assistance.”

The CDBG program is a federally funded program authorized by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The program is administered by the Office of Community Renewal (OCR). According to information provided at hearing, up to $20 million may be available through the CDBG program in 2018 to small communities and counties to help fund community development needs. The state requires 70 percent or more of the funds be used for activities or projects which benefit low-income individuals.

The grant the village is applying for is CDBG 2018 Public Facilities funding, one of four subcategories of the CDBG program. The money can be used for construction or renovation of facilities, but cannot be used to cover day-to-day operational cost.

The Housing Authority will be the sub-recipient of the funds, which will be administered by the village.

According to the project description, the authority has hired a consultant for the work and is trying to nail down the total project cost. Two other local housing authorities that have acquired Public Facilities funding in the past 5 years to upgrade elevator systems, experienced total project costs of around $500,000. The Canton authority expects similar costs for the Grasse River project, and plans to cover the remaining $200,000, possibility through bank financing arrangements, said St. Marie.

This particular project will involve only one of the buildings at the high-rise complex. The other building’s elevators were rehabbed in 2012 through another grant said St. Marie.

The new elevators in this current plan will bring the systems into ADA compliance, and enhance safety for residents, the project description said.

“It seems like a pretty straight-forward need,” said Village Trustee Beth Bullock Larrabee.

“It does to me. Its what we are here for,” said Mayor Mike Dalton.

Village residents can still comment on the village’s application for the grant until June 22 at 4 p.m. Written comments can be sent to Leigh Rodriguez, Canton Village Economic Development Director, Village of Canton, 60 Main St., Canton 13617, or by email at lrodriguez@cantonny.us.