Key grant for new Appleton transit center under review
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A major project to build a new transit center in Appleton has hit a snag.
'As I understand it the administration (U.S. Department of Transportation) has asked for all discretionary grants to be reviewed,' said Valley Transit general manager Ronald McDonald. 'My understanding is that the grant is in the secretaries office along with all the other grants under review.'
The grant that McDonald referenced is $25 million in funding the city received two summers ago through the federal government's Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. It will almost cover the entirety of the transit center project.
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McDonald said USDOT officials will review the grant, but said he's confident the city will retain the funding.
'Realistically this was a very competitive grant, we went through a competitive process and scored very highly,' McDonald said. 'So it's very unlikely that we won't receive the grant.'
McDonald said the USDOT review will slow down the project a bit. He said he hasn't received a timeline for how long the review will take.
In addition to the new transit center, private developers plan to build apartment buildings on top of the new building. McDonald said this part of the project will rely on private funding and the $25 million grant will not cover this portion of the project.
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'We're confident that this project will get done, but there's a lot of work in the background waiting for that to happen,' McDonald said.
He said the current transit center is outdated and needs upgrades to its HVAC and plumbing system.
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