Official: Nonprofit agency GroWest subject of Utica's mystery probe

The OD reported that the subject of City Hall's mystery investigation that the Roefaro administration won't discuss is a nonprofit program that uses federal grant money administered by the city to rehabilitate homes, a city official said Monday.

GroWest has worked with the city under a number of different programs, including lead abatement, the sale of historic homes in the Rutger Park neighborhood, the Oneida Square façade improvement project and federal housing programs, which exist to create affordable housing for low-income households, according to records and O-D archives.

The agency was founded in 1996 with a focus on revitalizing the West Utica neighborhood around the Munson-Williams Proctor Arts Institute. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the City of Utica paid $517,783 in Community Development Block Grant money to GroWest, which used the money mostly to assist with housing renovations, according to city Comptroller Michael Cerminaro.

Now, a City Hall official with knowledge of the investigation and who requested anonymity told the O-D Monday the city's probe is focusing on GroWest's activities. The official would not comment on the details of the investigation. Read more here.