After two years of anticipation, the city of Robinson has finally secured a $1.493 million federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The grant will help fund roadway, sewer and water infrastructure improvements to the Robinson Chamber of Commerce-owned Ridgway Industrial Park, which will help alleviate heavy flooding in the area. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 700 jobs and generate $70 million in private investment. "The Robinson Ridgway Industrial Park project is a good example of what can happen when local, state and federal government work together for the purpose of economic development," said Bob Berty, executive director of the Crawford County Development Association. "This grant will not only enable the CCDA to develop the Ridgway Industrial Park for marketing, but should improve the surface water problems that have long plagued this area and other parts of the city."
The Crawford County Development Association has been working with the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission since 2008. Sarah Mann from GWRPC, who submitted the grant on behalf of the city and CCDA, as well as University of Illinois Extension grant writer Barbara Webster, William Warren from the EDA and Carolyn Brown Hodge from Consulting LLC, were all instrumental in securing the grant. The grant will provide much-needed funding for the $1.991 million storm-sewer project near the 72-acre Ridgway Industrial Park. Berty said the grant will also likely fund other infrastructure improvements in the residential area on Reed Street and Locust Lane, where storm water drainage is a problem as well.
"Mitigating the effects of natural disasters and aiding in the prevention of future disasters is a top priority of the Obama Administration," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. "This EDA grant will make the vital infrastructure improvements needed to keep businesses open and people working at the Ridgway Industrial Park in the event of future flood events."
Infrastructure development in the industrial park would provide access to eight lots in the park. Now that the grant has been approved, improvements will include the extension of West Mulberry Street with 30 feet of new concrete pavement curb, 2,140 feet of water main, 3,000 feet of sanitary sewer main, one duplex sanitary pumping station and 5,114 feet of storm sewer.
"This park is critical to the economic health of Crawford County," said U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson. "I don't agree with many of the ways the federal government is spending money these days, but this need is vital. This is true stimulus. Without this help, the park's future would be uncertain, as would many jobs in this area."
A whole team of state and local representatives, and city officials worked together to find funding for the project. Berty acknowledged several local officials who helped secure the grant, including Mayor Roger Pethtel, City Engineer Jeff Hillard, Administrative Assistant Laquita Hasty, and Robinson Chamber Administrator Mary Kindt. Representatives Roger Eddy, Tim Johnson and Dick Durbin along with area DCEO representative Josh Weger also assisted with the grant.
Robinson became eligible to apply for the 25/75 matching grant when the state declared the city a "disaster area" after flooding severely damaged the industrial park in 2008. The grant will help provide sufficient water capacity and diminish ongoing flooding that will continue if improvements aren't made. "This also would not have been possible without all the hard work of the city of Robinson, the Chamber of Commerce, development officials and the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission," Rep. Johnson said. "They put this proposal together and I'm happy to be a part of making it happen."
Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission is pleased to announce several grant awards in Richland County.
Dundas/West Liberty received a grant for $100,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) through the Community Development Assistance Program to design a sanitary sewer system.
The City of Olney received a grant in the amount of $153,070 from the Illinois DCEO for the rehabilitation of 5 homes in a specified target area in Olney.Housing Rehabilitation grants are used to rehabilitate homes of low to moderate income homeowners.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department received a $13,500 grant from USDA/Rural Development through the Community Facility program for the purchase of a new squad car.
Richland County also received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan for Richland County.Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission along with Southern Illinois University will be developing the plan for the County.The planning process is expected to take 2 years and when completed will allow the County to be eligible for Hazard Mitigation grant funding.
Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission is a federally designated Economic Development District (EDD).The GWRPC region includes the counties of Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White.Services provided include: planning, technical assistance, and project development in the areas of community and economic development, transportation, housing, land use, public facilities, and natural resources.More information can be found on their website at www.gwrpc.com.
Shimkus announces $1.8 million investment in Lawrenceville
Infrastructure for a new city-owned business park in Lawrenceville projected to create 198 jobs is receiving a huge boost from funding announced Monday afternoon by U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R, Illinois-19). Shimkus revealed that almost $1.8 million has been approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) for work on a project that is expected to generate $4.7 million in private investment.
"This federal funding is especially welcome as Lawrenceville and surrounding areas continue to recover from the severe flooding in 2008," Shimkus said. "I want to congratulate Mayor Brian Straub and also Sarah Mann of the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission (GWRPC) for work on the application that made this Disaster Recovery Project a reality." The grant is for $1,776,846 of the total cost of $2,369,128 for constructing water, sewer and roadway infrastructure.
April 1, 2009
Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission acquires EDA Grant for City of Fairfield for $1.2 Million
The City of Fairfield was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the construction of a new water treatment facility.The water treatment facility is essential for job growth within Wayne County.The current water treatment facility is antiquated and cannot be expanded to meet business needs.The federal grant is expected to create 275 Jobs and generate $172 Million in private investment.
Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission submitted and will administer the $1.2 Million Grant.The City of Fairfield met with EDA officials to go over all grant requirements at the GWRPC office on April 1, 2009.
EDA supports the economic development needs of distressed communities throughout the United States. Its mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Additional information on how EDA investments are helping distressed communities create a positive and sustainable economic future can be accessed at: http://www.eda.gov.
Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission serves seven counties including Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White.GWRPC offers services in the areas of economic development, public facilities, grant writing, and community planning.Additional information on how GWRPC helps the seven county region can be found at http://www.gwrpc.com.