GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In conjunction with its Shipyard proposal, the City of Green Bay is hoping to spruce up homes in that west side neighborhood.
And, the city plans to offer money for outdoor property work you can see from the curb.
The area of homes that might qualify includes from the Fox River to Ashland Avenue and south of West Walnut Street to 6th Street.
“I just like to have things nice and pretty and I’m not happy with this right now,” said Cris Lewis, a resident in the area that we told about the proposed program.
“I need gutters. I want to finish this door off and get it all trimmed and painted. I’ve got to paint the front porch here.”
Most of the work Lewis wants to do would likely qualify in Green Bay’s proposed Curb Appeal Program.
“It’s to encourage you to assist you in doing what you probably want to do anyway, but maybe can’t afford to do it,” said David Buck, a planner for the City of Green Bay.
Using Community Development Block Grant and Neighborhood Enhancement Funds, the city plans to offer landscaping grants up to $1,000, exterior building/structure rehab grants up to $2,500, and site improvement grants up to $5,000.
Buck tells FOX 11 the property owner or renter would need to match 25 percent of the city’s grant.
“If we see great success in this program, this could be something that could be expanded throughout the community.”
The city would first need to sign off on the work. The property owner or renter would then need to perform the work and submit pictures and receipts when it’s done The city would then provide the money it agreed to pay.
When this program was discussed at the city’s Redevelopment Authority meeting on Tuesday, one of the only concerns expressed was the potential for contractors to abuse the opportunity by submitting inflated project costs.
But Buck expressed confidence they’d be able to snuff out any of those attempts.
“Our staff is pretty educated on what things cost and if numbers are coming in heavily inflated or deflated depending on the scenario, we can catch those.”
Lewis is excited about what the program could mean.
“There’s a couple of different homes in here that could use a lot of sprucing up. I’m hoping the people will go for it.”
Buck says the Curb Appeal Program would be part of the city’s commitment to spend $1 million over the next three years on homes in the Shipyard neighborhood.
The city council is scheduled to vote on the proposal next week.
