FEDERAL PLANNING GRANTS

Chicago will undertake two urban renewal projects on its West Side with the aid of Federal loan funds totalling $5,834,361 and capital grants amounting to $4,852,561. The funds, approved today by Urban Renewal Commissioner Richard L. Steiner, will be used to carry out the "Lake-Maple-wood" and "Lake-California" projects.

The two blighted areas, totalling 73 acres, are predominantly residential. Both will be cleared and reused for commercial and light industrial purposes.

Most of the 1,252 dwelling units in the two areas are substandard. The 1,120 families living in them will be offered relocation in decent, safe, and sanitary quarters, as required by law.

The loan approved for the 49 1/2-acre Lake-Maplewood project amounts to $3,900,344. Estimated net cost of the project is $4,106,144. This represents the difference between the cost of acquiring, clearing, and preparing the land for its new uses and the return from its resale at fair value. The $2,901,544 Federal grant covers two-thirds of this deficit and includes an amount for aiding in relocation.

The loan for the 23 1/2-acre Lake-California project is $1,934,017. Estimated net project cost is $1,923,858. As' in Lake-Maplewood, the Federal grant—$1,351,017—covers two-thirds of the deficit and includes relocation funds.

Chicago's contribution to each project will cover the remaining one-third of the combined loss. All Federal funds involved are authorized by Title I of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended.

The City of Chicago will develop techniques for stimulating citizen participation and cooperation in planning renewal of a run-down neighborhood with the aid of a $20,150 Federal "demonstration" grant approved today by Urban Renewal Commissioner Richard L. Steiner.

Scene of the study will be the Illinois city's "Hyde Park-Kenwood" urban renewal project, now under way with Federal assistance. Current local redevelopment plans for the 89-acre area call for use of project land primarily for residential purposes, coupled with supporting commercial and public installations. More than 1,800 white and non-white families are now residing in the area.

The demonstration study will aim at developing and testing sound methods of citizen participation through the use of block groups, public and private planning technicians, local newspapers, owners and agents of project properties, and other institutions and organizations. The latter include schools, churches, hospitals, various associations, recreation clubs, and similar groups. Among them will be Chicago's new Conservation Community Council.

The city expects to complete the undertaking in eight months and will publish a detailed report of

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its findings. Copies of the report will be made available, without cost, for the guidance of other communities participating in the urban renewal program.

Federal funds for the demonstration grant program are authorized by the Housing Act of 1954, which provides grants of up to two-thirds of the total cost of projects designed to improve urban renewal methods and techniques. Total cost of the Chicago undertaking is $30,225, two-thirds of which is covered by the Federal grant. Chicago will put up the remaining one-third in staff services and facilities.

Abingdon, Illinois, will receive assistance in creating a comprehensive plan for its growth and development from the State Housing Board through a Federal grant of $2,125 approved today by Urban Renewal Commissioner Richard L. Steiner.

The Federal grant, with an equal amount of local funds, will be used to carry out necessary planning work over a 14-month period. The work will include, principally: preparation of a base

map, land use plan, zoning ordinance and map, and subdivision regulations; and the mapping of utility systems, with recommendations for their extension.

The Federal grant was approved under the urban planning assistance program authorized by the Housing Act of 1954 to provide Federal grants to official State planning agencies for use in giving planning aid to communities of less than 25,000. Similar grants are available to official State, metropolitan and regional planning bodies for work in metropolitan and regional areas. The grants may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of the work for which they are made. State and local funds make up the remainder of the cost.

Commissioner John C. Hazeltine of the Community Facilities Administration today approved an advance of $31,000 to the Public Building Commission of Springfield, Ill., for the preparation of preliminary plans for a municipal building to replace the old city hall, built in 1890.

The new building will cost an estimated $2,000,-000 and will provide 70,000 square feet of floor space with offices, court rooms, centralized record storage and files, vaults for titles, records and offi-

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FEDERAL GRANTS

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cial documents, and specially designed rooms for automatic billing and duplicating equipment. Construction probably will be started early in 1959.

Springfield, with a population of 87,500 (1956), is the capital of Illinois.

This project is being assisted under the Program of Advances for Public Works Planning, authorized by the Housing Act of 1954, as amended. This program provides interest-free advances for planning essential public works and community facilities. Advances are repayable on start of construction.

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