|
|
Applications for I-JOBS stimulus funding successful |
| Updated: September 02, 2009 |
City of Iowa City representatives attended the I-JOBS Board of Directors meeting in Waterloo on Monday, August 31, 2009, and received positive news of funds awarded for several Iowa City projects. The Board took formal action at that meeting to allocate the $118.5 million competitive-grant portion of the program. A total of 58 local initiatives in 33 Iowa counties were funded. All of the City's applications to the I-JOBS stimulus program received funding as follows:
• Fire Station #4 - Funding of $2,268,867 was received to defray a
total construction cost of $4,537,734. The City has also applied for
Federal stimulus funding to cover the remaining costs of this project.
Groundbreaking should occur in October.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Project - The plan to remove the 1930's
sewer plant in the floodplain and transfer operations out of the
floodplain to the newer South Wastewater Plant received funds in the
amount of $3,495,293. There also is an opportunity to bring the total
award to approximately $10 million if additional I-JOBS funding
becomes available. The entire project cost is approximately $63
million. City staff has also applied for CDBG Supplemental Disaster
grants and to the Economic Development Administration for additional
funding for this project. Design work should be completed next year
with construction occurring in 2011.
• UniverCity - in a separate pool of I-JOBS funds directed to
affordable housing, $1 million was awarded on August 28 to purchase 20
single-family homes near the University of Iowa campus. Known as
UniverCity, this program will offer low-interest home preservation
loans and financial incentives to encourage single-family
homeownership near the campus. This program is a cooperative effort
between the City and the University of Iowa.
The Culver/Judge I-JOBS program will invest a total of $830 million
over the next two years to create and retain jobs, strengthen the
economy, recover from last year's natural disasters, and improve
Iowa's infrastructure. The funds will be used to upgrade Iowa's roads
and bridges, invest in renewable energy projects, improve water
quality, and upgrade public facilities.
Mayor Regenia Bailey, Interim City Manager Dale Helling, Planning
Director Jeff Davidson, and Public Works Director Rick Fosse attended
Monday's meeting. After the meeting, Mayor Bailey stated that "We're
appreciative of the Governor and the legislature for their support of
this innovative program for flood recovery and economic stimulus and
we are delighted to have received this funding. The credit for our
success in securing this funding goes to City staff, particularly our
flood recovery staff, who navigated us through the details of this new
program."
|