VALENTINE, Neb. - A trailer park in Valentine will soon be redeveloped as part of a broader effort to meet the community’s growing housing needs. On Thursday night, city council members approved a $100,000 grant to support public works improvements at the trailer court near Thacher and Donoher Streets.

Owners Gene and Catherine Darnell plan to redevelop the area into ten residential lots.

“The lot needs to be changed. Some of those trailers need to go,” said Catherine Darnell.

The Darnells said they’ve already had interest from several builders, who will likely build presold homes.

“There’s a growing statewide focus on workforce housing. This project aligns with specifications for community housing,” said Deanne Monroe with the Valentine Economic Development Board. “It will beautify that side of town where it could use some sprucing up.”

While the council ultimately approved the project, Mayor Kyle Arganbright voiced some hesitation. He said projects like this should first seek Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, which won’t be available for the project for a couple of months.

“That would be too late for some of our project,” said Gene Darnell.

Arganbright emphasized that the grant isn’t intended to set a precedent for other developments. He said that another development is in the works that will provide eight to ten lots, and the city also plans to start developing land east of the high school next year. That project could include 30 lots initially, with the potential for more than 100 in the long run.

“We’ve had huge demands for housing and not the units built,” Arganbright said.