Mesquite RDA Approves $60K Redevelopment Grant

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Mesquite City Council, operating as the Mesquite Redevelopment Agency (RDA) board, voted to approve nearly $60,000 in grant funding for improvements to affordable housing units in the downtown area of Mesquite during a special RDA meeting held on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

In the meeting, a request was considered from LaNoor Studios located at 92 W. Mesquite Blvd. The owner is currently in the process of constructing a new building on the property with 29 new units. The application was requesting financial assistance from the RDA for electrical being installed in those 29 new units.

Assistant City Manager Martine Green explained that the building is located in the city’s central business district so it qualifies for up to 75 percent reimbursement in the project.

The lowest bid for the electrical work had come in at $79,250. The 75 percent eligible for RDA grant came in at $59,437.50, Green said.

Green added that the LaNoor property had been a previous recipient of RDA funding in Dec. of 2019 when the owner received nearly $26,000 to assist with remodeling the front building of the complex.
The maximum in RDA funding that can be received per parcel is $100,000. “So they will still have almost $15,000 left to use on that parcel,” Green said.
Councilman George Gault made the motion to approve the application. The vote was unanimous to accept the motion.

In another agenda item, the RDA approved a change to the RDA program. The change would allow applicants to submit only two competing contractor bids on a project to be considered for RDA funding.
Previously the program required three bids to be considered. But property owners had complained that getting three bids was often difficult, given the unique environment in Mesquite.

This change would make the process of applying for RDA funds easier, said Mesquite Mayor Al Litman.
With no comments from the RDA board or from the public, the change was approved with a unanimous vote.