$320,000 grant to helppay for central-city homes

6/25/2005

Thirty-two subsidized homes will be built in three central Toledo neighborhoods using, in part, $320,000 in federal funds allocated to the city, Mayor Jack Ford announced during a news conference yesterday in a vacant lot in the 2400 block of Auburn Avenue.

The homes will be lease-to-own, single-family dwellings to be built during the next year on vacant lots in the Auburn-Delaware, BUMA, and Lincoln-Robinson sections of the city, Mr. Ford and leaders of two community development agencies said.

Six will be built on or near Auburn on the north side of Monroe Street, 10 will be built in the Bancroft Street-Upton Avenue-Monroe-Auburn quadrant, and 16 are planned for Palmwood, Fernwood, and Lincoln avenues near Robinson School, leaders of the neighborhood corporations said.

Mayor Ford said the project, jointly sponsored by the Ottawa Community Development Corp. and the Toledo Central City Neighborhoods Development Corp., will continue an effort to distribute housing development aid in one big gigantic chunk rather than scattered throughout the city. We re not just trying to build homes, but transform neighborhoods, the mayor said.

The construction s total cost is projected at $5.75 million.