City's chances at EDA grant look good

Things are looking good for Columbia Falls to secure an Economic Development Administration grant, city manager Susan Nicosia said Tuesday.

City leaders met with Kirk Keysor, the Economic Development Representative for the region last week to have preliminary talks on the grant and grant process.

The city should qualify for a grant on several fronts, including its unemployment rate, recent layoffs and its income level, Nicoisa noted.

The next step in the process is a pre-application, which takes about two weeks, she said.

If the city qualifies on that front, a full-blown application would ensue.

The grants are for infrastructure costs that would create jobs. The city would use the money to bring utilities to the industrial park off Railroad Street, which is shovel-ready, or perhaps help a tenant utilize the former Weyerhaeuser plywood and lumber mills, which were shut down by the company this summer.

SmartLam, a manufacturer of cross-laminated wood panels, is looking to expand and has indicated an interest in both properties in the past.