ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) - The Elmira City Council held their council meeting on Monday. The council discussed several items on the agenda, including the New York State Anti-Displacement grant, the North Main Street Bridge Project and the Ernie Davis Park Project

The city of Elmira could be awarded up to $1 million from the Attorney Generals Office through the New York State Anti-Displacement grant. This grant would go towards people who could be at risk of losing their homes and becoming homeless. Dan Mandell, the Mayor for the city of Elmira says this grant would prevent homelessness in the city of Elmira. Mandell says the Attorney General was awarded money from the banks when they defaulted back during the housing crisis. They are now reinvesting this money back into municipalities.

"We're in the initial steps right now. We just did a webinar last week to go over the ground work and how we're going to develop our plan. Then after a couple more webinars, at the end of March, we're going to be going up to Albany to meet face-to-face with the people that are directing this and overseeing this project. We will all be working together with the different municipalities," says Dan Mandell, the Mayor for the city of Elmira.  

Mandell says there are 10 municipalities that have applied and the city is hoping to receive $1 million to attack the homelessness problem and the people who are risk for being homeless. 

The Elmira City Council also discussed the North Main Street Rehab Project. City Manager Mike Collins says the project includes extensive rehab that will be done to the bridge in 2021. Collins says residents can expect to see work being done underneath the bridge, as well as on top of the bridge. He says the bridge will be closed off in 2021 around Spring time, staying closed throughout the remainder of that current year. 

"With that bridge being closed, people would be re-routed either over Clemens Center, Madison Avenue Bridge or they could go over Walnut Street Bridge. Now Walnut Street Bridge will be closed this year. There will be extensive work done to the bridge starting in April of 2020," says Mike Collins, City Manager for the city of Elmira. 

Collins says once North Main Street Bridge is done in 2021, all bridges within the city will have had major rehab and probably won't need major rehab for another 20 years.

The Elmira City Council also approved a bid on Monday for the Ernie Davis Park Project. The playground equipment will be supplied by "Play By Design" which is based in Ithaca. The city received funding through grants for the playground, and $215,000 will be used to pay for the playground equipment. The playground will mostly have ADA compliant equipment and much more. 

"If you're in a wheel chair, you'll be able to use a swing and there will be transfer benches for people who are somewhat mobile. So they can go from a wheelchair into a swing, the ramps into the playground will be wide enough, so you can walk beside someone who is in a wheelchair," says Brent Stermer, Councilman for the Second District. 

Ernie Davis Park is located on Dickinson Street in the city of Elmira. The city says the park will be finished by next fall.