The aging Rocky Mountain Manor building will undergo renovation this fall, thanks to a $224,000 grant.The Wyoming Community Development Authority announced last week that the manor is one of seven projects in the state to receive a Community Development Block Grant.

“They liked our project and what we're trying to do for people,” said Wes Metzler, the board president.

Grant funding will pay for the installation of showers, bathroom vanities, new toilets and some flooring in the 43-year-old building.

Currently, most of the manor's 52 units have old cast-iron bathtubs that are difficult for elderly residents to use.

“I will be glad when I don't have to step over the tub,” said Zona Roper, a 90-year-old resident.

Manor resident Helen Muecke said the shower installation will help her and her husband, Hans.

“Hans has an awful time getting in the tub with the arthritis in his knees,” she said. “It's hard for me, too.”

The average age of residents is mid-80s. Metzler said residents' ages, combined with their low-income level, underlined the need for the renovation project.

Of the 56 residents who call the manor home, 53 are in the low-to-moderate income bracket, Metzler said.

Twenty-three qualify for housing assistance, he added.

When WCDA representatives visited the manor, “they could see the need in the building,” Metzler said.

The manor also is using $100,000 in Moyer Foundation matching funds for new kitchen ranges and other renovation. The Moyer money was contingent on the manor receiving other matching funds and will be distributed over four years.

Upon receiving the award, the manor has two years to complete the project, according to Jennifer Crawford, federal programs coordinator for the Wyoming Community Development Authority.

Crawford said the manor project addresses a need among the building's 56 residents and benefits individuals directly.

The Powell City Council sponsored the manor's grant application in April. City councilmen had to choose between the manor and a Mountain Spirit Habitat for Humanity grant proposal.

“We had two very good items to consider endorsing,” Mayor Scott Mangold told manor residents Thursday.

He said that while it was a difficult decision, “we came up with the right endorsement.”

The Wyoming Community Development Authority had around $1.25 million to distribute for block grants. Projects in Laramie, Kaycee, Sheridan and Converse County also received grant funding.

Next, the manor project will go through an environmental review and will be up for bid later this summer. Metzler said the timeline depends on the bidding process, but it's likely renovation will begin this fall.

“The sooner and quicker, the better,” Muecke said.