The New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority has approved an emergency Community Development Block Grant award for up to $400,000 to Merrimack County to replace a failed heating and cooling system in the Concord YMCA Firehouse building. The facility faces health, comfort and safety issues without an operational system. The funds are 100 percent federal.
“Without these repairs, the building would likely be out of compliance for childcare operations in the colder months and an important community service provided by the YMCA would be interrupted. Resulting ventilation problems have also resulted in poor air quality in the children’s area,” said Kevin Flynn, communications director for CDFA. “The need to rectify the situation is urgent and an emergency allocation is warranted.”
The CDBG award will be granted to Merrimack County and subgranted to the YMCA so the organization may replace the failed steam heat pumps, which warm the building located behind the main facility. The daycare operation services 153 children, 57 percent of whom come from low- to moderate-income families.
The 1875 fire station was purchased by the Concord YMCA in 1996. State regulations call for childcare operations to maintain minimum building temperatures. Electric heaters have been used as a temporary measure this past winter. Also, the replacement of cooling towers was deemed important because the resulting poor ventilation in the summer months increases CO2 levels to unacceptable standards. Portable air conditioners and other stopgap ventilation measures have been employed during the heat wave to maintain comfort and safety.
Following this approval from the CDFA Community Development Advisory Board, the emergency grant will now go to the Executive Council for final approval.
The CDBG program funds provide housing and create jobs primarily for low- and moderate-income people. Funds are provided to the state of New Hampshire by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and administered by CDFA. Each project is evaluated on several criteria, including impact on low- and moderate-income residents and the acquisition of matching funding.
