The Glenville senior housing project got a shot in the arm Wednesday: a $250,000 state grant to help with construction costs.

&uot;We’re very excited because it was such a competitive process,&uot; Ruth Stadheim, who has been consulting with the city and Booster Club about the project, said.

The project, a proposed 18 unit senior home, was spawned in discussion in the winter of 2000. Stadheim said a group of people interested in the proposal began meeting the next year, and the project has really gotten rolling since then.

With the growing senior population in the area, a demand for senior living has also been growing.

&uot;There’s no place right now for seniors to stay in the community as far as housing options,&uot; Stadheim said.

Census 2000 data shows that of 720 residents in Glenville, 196 are over 55. And of 71 one-person households, 25 are seniors over 65.

The planned 23,000 square-foot building would accommodate eighteen residential units, six one bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments, with a common area that could also be used as a senior citizen center for the community.

The total project cost is estimated to be $1.8 million, so the quarter of a million dollars helps, but there is still a lot of ground to cover.

Stadheim said the project committee is hoping to receive a loan from the US Department of Agriculture that would cover the bulk of the rest of that cost, but they are also looking at local fundraising.

Stadheim said that the larger the loan from the USDA, the higher the rent would have to be.

&uot;We want to keep our rents really low,&uot; she said. &uot;The only way we can do that is by looking for other funding possibilities.&uot;

To do this the group hopes they can raise half a million dollars through various fundraising activities both in Glenville, and throughout the county. Stadheim said they are also looking at another possible funding source, but did not disclose who that was.

She said that the funding from the state will help to show other possible sources that the project has strong support.

&uot;The state obviously looked at us and said ‘Yes, this is a good project,’&uot; Stadheim said. &uot;This should help to show others that this is a serious project.&uot;

Tuesday the group will host a public meeting on the project at the Glenville senior citizen center at 5:30 p.m. Call Stadheim with questions at 383-3371.