RACINE - The city has landed a $196,000 federal grant to help charge its Uptown revitalization program.

The grant, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, was included in the Omnibus spending bill that President Bush signed Dec. 26.

It will be used by the Racine Redevelopment Authority for the purchase and renovation of buildings in the Uptown commercial area.

The Uptown revitalization program is a project of the City of Racine, the Racine County Economic Development Corp., or RCEDC, and area business and property owners.

Uptown is located along Washington Avenue from Phillips Avenue to 10th Street. It is the western gateway to Racine's Downtown, lake front and several corporate headquarters.

The rehabilitation and redevelopment of the historic buildings in Uptown are key components to the success of the plan, according to Kristin Niemiec, the project manager. However, many of these buildings suffer from significant deferred maintenance and deterioration resulting in large renovation costs.

"That was really huge to get federal money for this project," Niemiec said Wednesday. She said the city submitted three federal grant applications - for Uptown, the Douglas Avenue corridor and the proposed Pointe Blue - and only Uptown succeeded.

The grant was made available through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl with strong support from U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and Congressman Paul Ryan.

The Uptown Revitalization Program puts into effect a plan adopted by the Common Council in 2005. The plan calls for demonstration projects in which buildings are bought, renovated and then sold. The city bought the first building, 1526 Washington Ave., last February; renovation is under way.

The city acquired a second building, at 1418 Washington Ave., in late December.

"It is our objective not only to improve the appearance of the Uptown corridor with this project but to spur additional private redevelopment in the area both by existing property owners and by new developers," Mayor Gary Becker stated in a news release. "This grant marks another significant milestone for the revitalization of the Uptown corridor."

Simultaneously, the city is putting an artist relocation program into effect, to make Uptown an area in which the arts and artists can thrive. All of Uptown's buildings have retail space on the first floor with residential units above, making them suitable for a first-floor studio with the artist's residence above.

"Working artists are the preferred buyers for the renovated buildings," said Niemiec. "We have designed the renovations with artists' live-work space in mind."

In addition to assisting the city in Uptown, RCEDC is managing the city's commercial

redevelopment efforts in West Racine and along the Douglas Avenue corridor.