Downtown Stayton is about to get an influx of apartments.
Two buildings in Stayton were awarded a total of $500,000 in grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to rehabilitate apartments into affordable housing in the city’s downtown on North 3rd Avenue.
About $375,000 is earmarked for the Diedrich building, which is owned by Gregg Olson and Linda Whitehad and will have five apartments.
The remaining $125,000 is for the former Jensen-Kreitzer building, which is now known as Marketplace At the Grove. The building is owned by Jon and Teri Mesa and will have two apartments.
“I think what this means is we’re going to have a more vibrant downtown,” Stayton city councilor Paige Hook said. “When you get people living where those businesses are, you get people supporting businesses downtown. I’m super excited for that because it’s a win-win for everybody.