Ypsilanti's Harriet Street corridor will benefit from $20,000 to plan its future - including opportunities for renovating and redeveloping buildings, as well as addressing such challenges as higher rates of foreclosures in the area.

The funds represent part of the annual federal Community Development Block Grant awarded to the city.

Since 2007 the city has used the grant money on facilities repairs at the Rutherford Pool bathhouse and putting a new roof on the Parkridge Community Center, among other projects.

This year's priority targets a neighborhood instead of public facilities, which MSU Extension Urban Collaborator Teresa Gillotti said is "a slight change in direction in how block grant funds have been used recently."

According to Gillotti, “neighborhood stabilization” funding will be used for:

• $50,000 in single family rehabilitation available throughout the city.
• $30,000 in dangerous buildings implementation available throughout the city.
• $20,000 in planning for the target area of Harriet Street.

The $20,000 for the Harriet Street corridor will likely include Parkview Apartments in the scope of the planning, but won't be put toward redevelopment costs for Parkview, Gillotti said.

City Council also identified working on more projects near Harriet Street, located at the southern gateway of the city at I-94, as a priority, Mayor Paul Schreiber said.

The Harriet Street neighborhood has been especailly hard hit by the bad economy, Gillotti said. Examples are significant rises in home foreclosures and business closings.

"(These are) for people who just need a little extra support to help improve their homes," Gillotti said.

Gillotti said the fire department has been compiling a list of potentially dangerous properties in the area since last summer and is also doing monthly inspections to ensure they're in compliance with city ordinances.

The city has also looked into other needs in the area such as non-motorized links, access to healthy food for residents, job creation, and economic development.

There will also be another $150,000 of block grant money spent on installing sidewalk ramps for the disabled for low- to moderate-income areas in the next three years.

Another $30,000 will be used for kitchen repairs and $20,000 for floor repairs at the Senior Center on Congress Street between 2011 and 2013.

Editor's note: Errors in exactly how the money from the grants will be divided have been corrected.

David Wak is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.