Gardner Community Development Block Grant Steering Committee Meeting Apr 28 2026

The City of Gardner, Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Steering Committee met on May 15, 2026, to discuss several procurement and project updates related to community development. A key agenda item was the approval of a new slum and blight inventory to maintain eligibility for CDBG funding under the slum and blight national objective. The committee proposed contracting the BSC Group, an on-call engineering firm, to update the inventory covering additional census tract block groups with high concentrations of low and moderate income residents. The estimated cost for this inventory is $60,000, funded from FY 2024 administrative funds, with a 10-year designation period. The committee also reviewed updates on ongoing projects including the demolition of 205-213 Main Street, nearing completion of the Greenwood Pool demolition by contractor APW, and upcoming bids for the Greenwood Pavilion construction. Discussions included compliance with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements for social service construction projects and coordination with state agencies on fire alarm electrical improvements at City Hall Avenue. The committee noted the recent submission of the 2026 CDBG mini entitlement application and emphasized the importance of the updated slum and blight inventory to enable future infrastructure and community development projects. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.