PENDLETON — As the clock winds down on the urban renewal district, the Pendleton Development Commission is thinking about adding another grant to their collection of financial assistance programs.

At a workshop on Tuesday, Charles Denight, the associate director of the commission, said the district’s second story grant program has been largely underutilized.

To spur more activity, Denight said the commission’s advisory committee was recommending the city broaden the scope of the grant to include more renovation and demolition options, regardless of the building’s structure. The second story grant would be converted to the “rejuvenation” grant, the working title for the concept.

Unlike some of the commission’s other financial aid programs, the second story grant can cover as much as 40% of a project’s cost without a hard monetary cap.

Mayor John Turner said he was worried that a large, seven-figure project could arrive in Pendleton and command a large sum of money. Councilor Dale Primmer added that the second story grant was uncapped because adding elevators, fire suppression sprinklers, and other modern standards to the downtown’s historic buildings could be prohibitively expensive for developers.

Denight responded that just because businesses could earn as much as 40% didn’t mean they were entitled to it. Under the rejuvenation grant concept, proposals would be rated on a rubric with factors like conformity and community need considered. The commission would then decide how much of the project would be funded based on how it met the criteria.

The commission decided it would be better to spin off the rejuvenation grant as its own grant rather than alter the second story grant, and asked for a proposal to vote on at its next meeting, which is scheduled for April 21.