GOSHEN — The city of Goshen is expanding its public right-of-way sidewalk repair program for 2012 and 2013 to include the vaults under the sidewalks in the downtown business district.

The Goshen Board of Works approved a resolution at a meeting Friday to include filling the vaults as a part of the established program. Through the program, commercial or residential real estate owners in the city can request that “sidewalks within the right-of-way adjacent to any public road and adjacent to the owner’s real estate be repaired.” The owner who requested the construction or repair pays half of the cost. Through 2013, downtown business owners can split the cost of filling in the vaults under the sidewalk with the city.

Constructing a foundation wall and moving utilities will be the owner’s expense. The city is also making loans available to downtown business owners to fill in the vaults.

Mayor Allan Kauffman said at Friday’s meeting that the vaults had been used to store coal. Some also housed shops, he said. Those that were deemed hazardous have been reinforced, Kauffman said, but this program will help actually fill them in.