Mt. Vernon Register-News

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August 31, 2010

Grant sought for streetscape project

By TESA CULLI tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The Downtown Mt. Vernon Development Corporation was granted permission to apply for a $862,800 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant Monday, days before the grant application deadline.

“I’ll be submitting the application electronically as soon as I receive the paperwork (Monday) from the City Council,” DMDC member Brian Edmison said. “The paper copies of the application will be overnighted and should be in Springfield before the Sept. 3 deadline.”

Two city projects were vying for permission to send in the applications — the second phase of the Southern Illinois Bike Trails project through the tourism department and the second phase of the streetscape project through DMDC.

“Based on the information presented, and looking at the strength of the projects and proposals, the recommendation is to go with DMDC,” City Manager Ron Neibert told the council Monday during a special meeting.

The second phase of the streetscape project would be the installation of new lighting, sidewalks, landscaping, trees and benches on Ninth Street between Jordan and Harrison, widening of the sidewalk in front of the Granada Center for the Performing Arts, and work on the Ninth Street Plaza green space next to 9th Street Grill. The first phase of the streetscape project was completed using ITEP grant funds and covered Main Street from 12th Street to 10th Street.

The ITEP grant is a matching grant, and Edmison said the grant authorities could decide not to award the grant, award a portion of the grant funds requested or all of the grant funds awarded. If the entire grant funds are awarded, the city would be responsible for  $172,500 of the total project cost.

“This year, the ITEP grant program allows us to use in-kind services for the matching funds,” Neibert said. “Our in-kind portion would be the construction engineering portion, which would be $46,021 of our portion. ... With the availability of in-house technical services, we can reduce our portion.”

The matching portion of the grant, if awarded, are expected to be budgeted from capital funds, Neibert said, but offered another option to the council.

“The project would also be eligible for (Downtown Tax Increment Finance) funding if the council wishes,” Neibert said. “That would be something that could be explored if the grant is awarded.”

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