The City of Coon Rapids and Glidden are both recipients of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Derelict Building Grant Program to assist with run-down, vacant buildings within the community. The cities must own the building and have a population of 5,000 or less, looking to address a neglected structure for retail or housing improvements to be eligible for the grant. The City of Coon Rapids will be receiving $84,708 to assist with replacing the roof, fixing the exterior brick, asbestos remediation, demolishing the back addition, and clearing out the interior walls of the old corner bar of Chuck’s Bar and Grill on Fifth Avenue and Main Street. Upon completion of that, the City of Coon Rapids would sell the building to individuals interested in pursuing business opportunities, whatever that may be. Work on that building is hoped to be completed by the end of this year. The City of Glidden will be receiving $58,934 to help with asbestos abatement, deconstruction, and renovations to the building located at 118 Idaho St. The future goal of Glidden’s community improvement project is to eat up a majority of the up-front cost of starting a new business, to encourage new business owners to look at Glidden as a new home, and to bring traffic into the downtown district. Other cities awarded the Derelict Building Grant include Rockford, Ida Grove, Greene, New Market, and Menlo.
