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Blunt plan aims to help struggling downtowns

Gov. Blunt unveils the DREAM initiative in Maplewood on Monday (UPI photo/Bill Greenblatt)
Gov. Blunt unveils the DREAM initiative in Maplewood on Monday (UPI photo/Bill Greenblatt)

By Matt Sepic, KWMU

St. Louis – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt Monday announced a new plan meant to help the state's smaller communities redevelop their downtowns.

The state will pick six to ten cities each year to participate in the DREAM Initiative, which stands for Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance for Missouri.

Blunt said the selected communities will receive help with creating a redevelopment plan and navigating state bureaucracy.

"There are a multitude of programs that are involved in this: historic tax credits, affordable housing credits," Blunt said. "The point is not creating a new program because we're not doing that."

Blunt said the initiative will cost the state very little because it uses existing resources.

The deadline for communities to apply is August 1.

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