New locations for a food pantry and a fire department's headquarters in northeastern Butler County are among the projects likely to be funded by a recently received $500,000 grant.

Perry O'Malley, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority of Butler County, said the Neighborhood Stabilization Grant comes from federal stimulus money.

The grant was awarded competitively from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the state's Department of Community and Economic Development.

"This is very good news," O'Malley said. "This was a rare opportunity to secure federal funds for our rural areas that often are overlooked."

The money will be used to acquire vacant, blighted or foreclosed properties, targeting the northeastern corner of the county, including Petrolia, Karns City and Bruin.

Once acquired, the redevelopment authority will have three options for the property: use it for a public purpose, demolish it, or rehabilitate it for resale.

"The projects have to be reasonable, and they have to make sense for the community," O'Malley said.

O'Malley said this planning has been in the works for more than a year, and already officials have identified at least two projects that could benefit from the grant: the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department needs a new headquarters and the United Methodist Church in Bruin needs a location for a food pantry.

Currently, officials are considering possible locations.

O'Malley said the hope is to acquire a site for each organization and rehabilitate it to code.

It then would be up to the fire department and church to outfit the buildings to their use.

Officials from the church and fire department could not be reached for comment.

O'Malley said officials also have identified four vacant houses that might be acquired as part of this funding.