The Historic Old Town Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) applied for and was awarded the 2025 DREAMS I by the City of Topeka. DREAMS I is a city program that provides a neighborhood plan, up to $1.4 million dollars in infrastructure money to the neighborhood, $330,000 in housing rehabilitation dollars through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds provided by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and $150,000 in public utility improvements. Your involvement in this process will allow your voice to be heard when making decisions on how this money can be spent. Through DREAMS I, the Historic Holliday Park will receive an update to their neighborhood plan that will outline how that money will be spent.
 
 What is DREAMS I?

The Topeka DREAMS Neighborhood Improvement Initiatives Program (NIIP) is a neighborhood investment partnership program between the City of Topeka and area Neighborhood Improvement Associations (NIAs). The program is designed to assist NIAs with improving their neighborhoods through, community collaboration, neighborhood planning, public infrastructure improvements, and affordable housing and housing rehabilitation in low and moderate income (LMI) neighborhoods of Topeka. This partnership allows for the planning, design and completion of projects that address current conditions, and the identification of goals for future neighborhood infrastructure, housing, and other quality of life improvements. The City works to implement the priority projects, identified by the community, into the City of Topeka’s Capital Improvement Plan, Capital Improvement Budget and annual Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block (CDBG) Funding priorities for neighborhood projects through three initiative levels.

A kickoff meeting was held on May 1st, 2025 to present the existing conditions of the neighborhood and allow residents to voice their thoughts and concerns regarding the neighborhood. Roughly 20 members of the community attended this meeting. 

The Historic Old Town DREAMS I Planning Committee, comprised of neighborhood volunteers, will continue to meet through Spring and Summer to cover issues related to land use, zoning, circulation, parks, and infrastructure. Along with these topics, the DREAMS I Planning Committee will help to develop goals and guiding principles, target areas, and develop infrastructure projects.