The Clarkston City Council set two public hearings next week to discuss application for a federal grant to help finance construction a $5 million hotel and convention center at Clarkston.

The hearings will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, during the regular council meeting, and at 9 a.m. next Tuesday in the council chambers.

Joseph L. Herring, Clarkston Director of Planning and Community Development, said the application would be for an Urban Development Action Grant. The federal money can be used for up to 25 percent of the project, or about $1.25 million.

If Clarkston were to receive the grant, the money would be loaned to the project developers, Herring said. Repayments on the loan would be used for other development projects, he said.

Plans for the hotel and convention center were unveiled in January by Chris Mooney, vice president of the Tomlinson Agency at Clarkston. Mooney said he was representing a group of more than 20 potential investors, most of them local residents.

The site for the 105-room hotel and 10,000 square-foot convention center would be on Port of Clarkston property near the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers.

The Port of Clarkston plans to purchase 11.7 acres of land currently set aside for port acquisition by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Herring said. The port then will negotiate a lease with the developers of the hotel-convention center, he said.

The proposed hotel would include a 10-story tower, restaurant, lounge and banquet rooms. Plans for the convention center include an exhibit hall, exercise and-aerobics rooms, a covered swimming pool, meeting rooms and an amphitheater conference center.

In other action the council:

• Decided to delay awarding the bids for the first phase of renovation of the Beachview Park swimming pool until the Parks and Recreation Committee studies the bids and makes a recommendation. The council received a dozen bids for equipment and electrical, plumbing and installation work on the pool. Some of the bids varied as much as $30,000 for the same job.

• Set a public hearing for May 28 on an application for a federal Community Development Block Grant for a residential rehabilitation project. The project, similar to the recently-completed Fair Street project, would include new streets, sidewalks and storm drains on 3rd and 4th Streets between Chestnut and Bridge Streets.

• Authorized Mayor J.J. (Joe) Cassetto to sign an application for $100,000 for a federal rental housing rehabilitation program as soon as the paper work is ready. The application will be made to the Washington Department of Community Development, which administers the federal funds. The program provides financing to owners of residental rental properties for improvements to their properties. The program can pay for half of the renovation cost, up to $5,000, Herring said.

• Named David W. Farlowe, Dennis Joines and Margo McCroskey, all of Clarkston, as private sector representatives on the local Team Washington committee. Government representatives are Ann Silvestri, Clarkston City Council member; John K. Givens of the Clarkston Port District; T.C. (Tim) Poe, Asotin County commissioner; and Delores J. Brereton, Asotin City Council member. Team Washington is Gov. Booth Gardner’s initiative for coordination of local and state government to promote economic development.

This story was published in the April 23, 1985, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.