Preston - The town is hoping to use a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to demolish the Ribicoff building, town officials said at a public hearing Thursday night.

The cost of demolishing the Ribicoff building is estimated at between $200,000 and $300,000, but the town is hoping to use any residual money to take down other buildings.

"I hope there's support for this specific application. It's what we should be doing, getting this property cleaned up and redeveloped," First Selectman Bob Congdon said.

Preston Redevelopment Agency Chairman Kent Borner explained why the grant is needed.

"The grant money gives us the ability to start the momentum and create the inertia that we are really committed to development on the site," Borner said,

"Our mission is to start there and have it leapfrog into the rest of the site," he said.

It is expected in the grant application that when the town applies for the money, it has to complete the project in a timely fashion.

"We're looking for them to give us a hand-up, not a hand-out," Congdon said.

Every year, the town can apply for a small cities grant, and Congdon said that every year the town will evaluate the pressing needs of the town.

Preston has already received $1.7 million in small cities grants for elderly housing over the past 15 years.

The plans and documents for the project have to be ready to go by the time the grant is awarded. On Wednesday night, the redevelopment agency discussed going out to bid in advance so that if the grant is awarded, the work can start immediately.

The grant has a June 4 deadline and will be awarded in the fall.

"This $500,000 grant, we are really committed to this being the economic future of the town. It's not going to happen without some help from a lot of folks, this grant is very important to the town of Preston," Congdon said.