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Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 12:55 PM
American Dream

A Tale of Two Buildings: Auburn Seeks Grant Extension After Years of Stalled Downtown Revitalization

A $435,000 federal grant awarded to Auburn in 2022 to repair crumbling downtown buildings sits nearly unspent, with the city now seeking a one-year extension after the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) moved to close out the grant without warning earlier this year. Council voted to request an extension to May 6, 2027.
A Tale of Two Buildings: Auburn Seeks Grant Extension After Years of Stalled Downtown Revitalization
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION work on these buildings, 922 Central at left and 923 Central across on the right, has hit several snags and has property owners and the State of Nebraska wondering why. Nemaha Valley Observer Photo by Rebecca Johnson

A $435,000 federal grant awarded to Auburn in 2022 to repair crumbling downtown buildings sits nearly unspent, with the city now seeking a one-year extension after the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) moved to close out the grant without warning earlier this year. Council voted to request an extension to May 6, 2027.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), was intended to fund structural repairs to historic buildings in Auburn’s central business district, particularly two buildings on Central Avenue where bricks had been falling onto public sidewalks. More than three years after the award, only about $34,000 has been spent, on an engineering study covering two priority buildings.

Background on the grant

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