July 17, 1978
Page 21158
MAINE'S SUCCESS WITH UDAG
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, last year, Congress authorized the urban development action grant (UDAG) program in order to aid the older, distressed cities of this country. Other Federal programs have proven to be inadequate in eradicating urban blight and generating sufficient physical and economic improvements to halt the decline of so many of our communities.
A significant aspect of the action grant program is the requirement that private financial commitments be obtained to match the Federal dollars requested. This will insure the interest and cooperation of local residents, business, and industry, and make urban revitalization a truly joint effort between the Federal Government and the private sector.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has begun to implement the program and has awarded more than $250 million in Federal funds to 80 cities across the country. Competition has been intense.
In my home State of Maine, the UDAG program has generated a considerable amount of interest and, I think, a high degree of creativity in the formulation of downtown revitalization plans. Maine's largest communities — Portland, Auburn, and Lewiston — have all fashioned projects tailored to their individual problems of physical decay and economic decline.
The city of Lewiston serves as a fine example of energetic planning and spirited cooperation between the public and private sectors. With the approval and support of city hall, a local neighborhood organization called Lewiston Tomorrow, Inc., fashioned a rehabilitation loan pool, an elevator grant program, and other aspects of the overall revitalization plan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development approved their application during the first round of competition. Together, municipal leaders and Lewiston Tomorrow are now starting to administer their projects.
The elected officials of Auburn, Lewiston's sister city across the Androscoggin River, have worked closely over the last several months with a number of local businessmen and bankers. They have developed a wide variety of activities, ranging from the redevelopment of 160,000 square feet of commercial and residential floor space, to the reconstruction of streets and sidewalks, to the renewal of public utilities. The UDAG award announced by HUD officials this week will now make their goals a reality.
Portland, Maine's largest city, has conceived an ambitious plan of linking its downtown civic center, municipal parking garage, and several commercial buildings to facilitate pedestrian; traffic in the heart of the city and to redevelop vacant commercial space into a mini-mall. While Portland was not granted funds in the latest round of competition, I am hopeful that its application will be favorably acted upon in the waning months of this fiscal year.
In addition, there are at least a half dozen smaller communities in the State that have been actively working on redevelopment plans of their owns. The have sought broad public involvement and done their planning without of sophisticated grantsmen available to the metropolitan areas.
Mr. President, there is ample evidence in Maine, in both urban and rural areas, that the time is ripe to preserve and rehabilitate our communities. Such action will make those communities better places in which to live, will enhance the local tax base by attracting new commercial enterprises, and will provide needed employment opportunities.
The urban development action program can provide the vehicle to stimulate this redevelopment and involve all levels of government and all elements of the private sector.
Maine's communities deserve credit for their innovative thinking and their active pursuit of funds to make community and neighborhood revitalization successful. The urban development action grant awards made thus far indicate that they are off to an auspicious start — and I am watching their progress with interest and enthusiasm.