Lincoln should get grant news soon Senator visits to view results of fires, speak with affected business owners

LINCOLN – Lincoln could hear news about two planning grants to help the town rebuild in the wake of two downtown fires as early as next week, according to Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, who visited the town on Tuesday.

Lincoln is seeking a $50,000 Economic Development Administration planning grant and a $60,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant for federal planning assistance through Rural Development.

The town also is seeking a $150,000 Economic Development Infrastructure grant and a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant.

Town Manager Glenn Aho said the planning grants were an important part of Lincoln’s redevelopment efforts. He said the grants would provide the town with needed funding to hire experts who will assist in writing additional grant proposals that will help foster private commercial development.

Once the planning grants are awarded, Aho said, the town will begin the process of hiring experts on retainer. These experts, which include design engineers, architects and commercial developers, will work with town officials.

During her visit on Tuesday, Snowe told the small group of town officials and businesspeople that her office would do all it could to provide support and assistance to the town in its effort to rebuild the downtown. “We realize the hole it has left in the downtown area,” said Snowe. “We want to remove any obstacles and we want to make this as easy as possible given the enormity of this devastation on the community.”

Snowe said the grant applications were being reviewed and could be announced in a week.

The senator viewed pictures of the devastation left by two fires that destroyed about 25 percent of Lincoln’s downtown in January and she met with a few businesspeople who lost their buildings.

Citing the close proximity of the fires to other business buildings, Snowe commended the efforts of firefighters, who managed to contain the fires.

Aho said Snowe and her staff had been very helpful to the town. “Actually, it was her office that was one of the kingpins in helping Lincoln earn some planning money so we can restore the town,” said the manager.