Columbia Basin College in Pasco plans to use a $600,000 federal grant to work with community groups on downtown revitalization and put on seminars for business owners.
The grant was announced Tuesday. It's through U.S. Housing and Urban Development's Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities program.
"(The grant) will allow us to continue and expand some of the work and services we've been providing to members of the community, particularly small-business owners in downtown Pasco," said Martin Valadez, CBC's vice president for diversity and outreach.
Nine other colleges and universities across the country also received grants, including Heritage University in Toppenish. Heritage will use its $599,975 for projects such as training small businesses on tourism and customer service, said a HUD news release.
The grants are aimed at helping the institutions make an impact on their communities. At least a quarter of the full-time undergraduate student population at the colleges and universities had to be Hispanic in order to qualify.
CBC plans to use its grant to run what it's calling a Facade Improvement, Revitalization and Support Training program.
The program will include creating a marketing plan aimed at bolstering the number of shoppers downtown. Faculty and students from the college will work with the city of Pasco and the Pasco Downtown Development Association on the plan, according to information from HUD.
Students and faculty also will work with area architecture experts and businesses on building some new storefronts, the release said.
And the college will work with community groups and business owners to put on bilingual business seminars.
Valadez said a director for the program is going to be hired and work will begin soon.
"We want to make (downtown) a place where people want to shop, hang out, spend a weekend," he said. "... It's really exciting because this is something that we know the downtown businesses have wanted."
w Sara Schilling: 582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com
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