Latest news with #ResearchinIllinoistoSpurEconomicRecovery
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pontiac misses out on $2M state grant to revamp downtown but says the project will go on
The city's plans to give Madison Street in downtown Pontiac a makeover with road resurfacing and new sidewalks got some bad news recently that will affect how fast the project gets done. The city applied for a $2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity but will not receive it this year. The funds were part of a $30 million award from the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets and Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) programs. Pontiac wanted to use the money to upgrade downtown sidewalks and streets in an area west of North Chicago Street to North Oak Street. 'The basic plan was covering four blocks, altogether,' Mayor Bill Alvey said. 'The northside would be the primary focus.' More: Illinois 116 is being redone in Pontiac. Here's what you need to know According to City Administrator Jim Woolford, the money the city was requesting was going to be spent on street resurfacing and addressing the width and slopes of the sidewalks along Madison Street. The city is still looking at the project, Woolford said, but it will have to be done in parts over time, which poses a design challenge. 'We want it all to look the same,' he said. 'That's going to be the key that the design fits with the overall scope of the plan.' Although it had been two lanes in the past, Madison Street has been one lane for a few years. It has angled parking on both sides. 'If we widen the sidewalks, it would happen on the sidewalk and not into the street,' Woolford said. 'There might be some parallel parking on one side and angled parking on the other. But that final plan hasn't been determined.' The plan is not defeated, Alvey said. 'We will revamp our ideas and move forward,' he said. 'It's in a TIF district so there will be TIF funding at the moment and other grants that we are pursuing to enhance and improve the flow of traffic downtown. "It's still something we have in the planning stage. We'll keep working on it.' Erich Murphy is a reporter at the Pontiac Daily Leader. This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Plans moving forward despite city missing out on grant
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Effingham receives over $300K from RISE grant
EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — The Mayor of Effingham has announced that the city is one of just nine communities statewide receiving a Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) grant. Governor JB Pritzker announced on Tuesday that the city was awarded $373,500 in RISE funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The funding will be used to buy 2.6 acres of property on Heritage Avenue. The goal of this purchase is collaborating with investors to turn the property into workforce housing. Newborn kittens abandoned in Effingham as 'kitten season' ramps up 'The result of this grant award will be another component in our overall strategy to stimulate the renovation of current housing stock and the building of new housing stock for the working families of Effingham and the surrounding area,' said Effingham Mayor Mike Schutzbach. The RISE grant development is one of a series of recent housing initiatives by Effingham. The city has also implemented a TIF Housing Redevelopment Program and a Housing Enterprise Zone Program. 'Several City of Effingham staff members significantly contributed to this grant award from DCEO, and they continue to work with the community to identify more opportunities for housingdevelopment,' Schutzbach said. Those interested in additional information on these programs should contact City Administrator Steve Miller at 217-342-5300 ext. 5314 or smiller@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bloomington to receive $1.9 million to revitalize downtown
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that Bloomington will be among the grant recipients receiving help to revitalize their downtowns. Pritzker announced that 25 recipients will be receiving $30 million in funding from the 'Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets' and the 'Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery' programs. The city of Bloomington has been awarded close to $2 million for the initial elements of the 'Downtown for Everyone' Streetscape Program. This program will help revitalize downtown through roadway and infrastructure programs. 'As Governor, one of my top priorities is to reverse decades of neglect and broken promises and bring jobs, opportunity, and hope back to communities across Illinois, while breathing new life into our downtown corridors and beyond,' Pritzker said. 'This program will directly support 25 communities across the state by funding critical community development projects, housing and infrastructure all while revitalizing commercial corridors.' The McLean County Regional Planning Commission will also receive $250,000 to fund its Housing Coordinator position over the two-year grant performance period. A full list of grant recipients is available here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
