SLt. Governor Suzanne Crouch along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced that 17 rural Hoosier communities receive more than $10.5 million in federal grant funding.
“These collaborations between federal, state and local partners are improving the lives of Hoosiers across the state and strengthening community pride,” Crouch said. “ I applaud this round’s local leadership for their commitment to bettering their communities, as well as their tremendous use of partnerships to address a challenge.”
The state of Indiana distributes Community Development Block Grant funds to rural communities to assist units of local government with various community projects such as: infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.
“We’re thrilled to support such a diverse array of projects in cities and towns throughout rural Indiana,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “Communities with reliable infrastructure are positioned for growth and an improved quality of life.”
The second round of the 2019 CDBG program begins on August 19, 2019, with proposals due on October 4, at 4 p.m. ET and final applications due November 22, at 4 p.m. ET.
The Main Street Revitalization Program encourages communities with eligible populations to focus on long-term community development efforts. Eligible applicants have a designated active Indiana Main Street group in their community, and the project must be a part of the Main Street’s overall strategy. Main Street Revitalization Program projects include streetscapes, facade renovations and downtown infrastructure rehabilitation.
The Town of Hope is awarded $428,360 for a downtown streetscape project. This project removes blighted conditions around the town square by replacing existing streetlamps, adding accessible sidewalks and other improvements that tie the interior and exterior of the square together.
The City of Kendallville is awarded $600,000 for a downtown streetscape project. This project replaces sidewalks, curbs, and lights along three downtown blocks to eliminate blight, improve safety and enrich the overall quality of life within the community.
The City of Kirklin is awarded $600,000 for a downtown streetscape project. This project installs new sidewalks, curbing, street lighting, and other improvements to create an attractive and walkable downtown.
The goals of the Public Facilities Program are to improve the quality of place, generate jobs and spur economic revitalization through improving community facilities or historic preservation projects. Eligible community facilities include fire stations, community centers, daycares, libraries, museums, senior centers and performance spaces.
Clay County is awarded $495,000 to construct a new fire station for the Center Point & Community Volunteer Fire Company. The project builds a 5,200 square foot station with four bays, a training room, a clean-up room and equipment storage.
Jefferson County is awarded $500,000 to replace the fire station used by the Deputy Volunteer Fire Department that was destroyed by fire in December 2018. The project builds an 8,254 square foot station with four bays, training and community rooms to meet the current and future needs of the community.
The Town of Lakeville is awarded $500,000 to renovate a 1930’s barn into a community center. The project creates a 4,500 square foot facility that can accommodate up to 200 people for a variety of community and social programs and events.
The Stormwater Improvement Program strives to reduce flooding, to cut stormwater treatment and energy costs, to protect rivers, lakes and vital landscape, and to generate jobs and spur economic revitalization. Types of activities that are eligible for this grant funding include stormwater improvements, as well as demolition and/or clearance.
The Town of Andrews is awarded $600,000 for stormwater improvements. This project installs 1,650 linear feet of drainage, nine inlets, and seven utility holes along Mckeever Street from the intersection with Jackson Street to Loon Creek, to address residential flooding.
The City of Connersville is awarded $600,000 for stormwater improvements. This project installs 2,710 linear feet of drainage, ten sewer manholes, 2,250 linear feet of curbs and grades as well as 500 linear feet of ditches in two areas of the city to address sewer overflows.
The goals of the Wastewater Drinking Water Program are to protect the health and environment, reduce utility rates for low-to-moderate income communities and improve rural infrastructure to enable long-term economic growth. Eligible Wastewater Drinking Water Program projects include many aspects of wastewater improvements and drinking water system improvements.
The Town of Centerville is awarded $700,000 for drinking water system improvements. This project installs 7,110 linear feet of water main line, replaces 2,060 linear feet of lead service lines, installs 12 new fire hydrants and 412 automatic reading water meters to address systems issues and resident safety.
The Town of Kingsford Heights is awarded $600,000 for wastewater system improvements. This project installs a new submersible pump station and a screening building along with new clarifier equipment and improvements to the wastewater system.
The Town of Montezuma is awarded $700,000 for wastewater system improvements. This project installs a new chemical feed building and equipment for the implementation of a phosphorus removal process and modifications to existing processes, and installs control system and remote monitoring equipment to improve the collection system.
The City of Mount Vernon is awarded $700,000 for drinking water system improvements. This project replaces 4,500 linear feet of existing 133-year old cast iron water mains between Main Street and Wolflin Street and on Wolflin Street between W. 8th Street and W. 4th Street.
The Town of North Salem is awarded $700,000 for drinking water system improvements. This project installs new transmission mains, a new water treatment plant, an elevated tank and pump improvements. The old water tower and treatment plant will be demolished.
The Town of Prince’s Lakes is awarded $700,000 for drinking water system improvements. This project installs 11,450 linear feet of pipe, 12 system isolation valves, four tapping valves/sleeves to connect to an existing pipe, 1,060 linear feet of granular backfill and 1,060 lineal feet of pavement replacement for road restoration. It also includes the construction of a 400,000-gallon elevated water storage tan, supervisory control and a data acquisition system.
The Town of Rockville is awarded $700,000 for drinking water system improvements. This project rehabilitates critical sewer segments to protect the residents from sanitary sewer overflows and backups into resident’s homes and prevent sinkholes and road failures due to failures in the aging, buried infrastructure.
The Town of Westport is awarded $700,000 for wastewater system improvements. This project replaces the packaged water treatment plant, replacement of intake, lake, clear well and high service pumps and improves the distribution system by connecting to Decatur County Rural Water.
The Town of Windfall is awarded $700,000 for wastewater system improvements. This project completes improvements to include the rehabilitation of Windfall’s wastewater treatment and collection facilities.
Funding for OCRA’s CDBG programs comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program and is administered for the State of Indiana by OCRA.