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City gets $654,832 in road funding as part of $2 million headed to county entities
The announcement that the City of Greencastle is receiving more than $650,000 in road money through a matching grant program was significant enough to bring out the dignitaries Tuesday.
Alan Plunkett, deputy commissioner for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), visited City Hall Tuesday afternoon, congratulating Mayor Bill Dory on the city's successful quest for $654,832 in funding as part of an influx of $2,070,577.50 for roads and bridges Putnam County will see overall thanks to Community Crossings matching funds.
Plunkett, who also presented the city with a certificate of congratulations signed by Gov. Mike Pence and Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, said he spent the day touring the west-central Indiana area, getting to as many of the 44 Crawfordsville District locations named recipients of Community Crossings funding as possible.
"I'm about half-done," Plunkett said as the clock neared 5 p.m. Tuesday and he headed back toward Montgomery County for the night after starting the day in Vermillion County.
Some $22 million in road and bridge funding is coming to the Crawfordsville District overall as its share of an overall $160 million in funding this year available to Indiana cities, towns and counties on a 50/50 matching basis.
The Town of Cloverdale is actually getting one of the larger individual grants of $948,160, behind only a couple dozen larger communities receiving $1 million or just shy of it.
Putnam County, meanwhile, will get $466,085.50. (Cloverdale and Putnam County projects will be delineated in a later article this week).
"The nice thing about it," Plunkett said, "is because of these matches, all the extra work we're going to be getting done."
Mayor Dory is well aware of that. The City of Greencastle had submitted six separate projects totaling $654,832. The city's matching portion will come from Redevelopment Commission funds raised via tax-increment financing (TIF) means for Jackson Street, City Street Department budget funds for 2017 and "a little bit of Rainy Day Fund money," Dory said.
The Greencastle projects being funded are:
South Jackson Street -- Overlaying and widening from Veterans Memorial Highway south to the city limits in front of Phoenix Closures. The $720,000 project also adds storm sewer and underdrain.
Anderson Street -- Overlay and added curb and gutter from Bloomington Street to Wood Street. The $140,346 project will repair the area in front of the Anderson Street walk-in entrance to Robe-Ann Park that was dug up for a waterline repair, as well as resurfacing the section of street that came under heavy truck traffic during the Miller School apartment conversion.
West Washington Street -- Overlay, curb and gutter repair and rebuilding the storm sewer between Washington and Gillespie streets on the city's northwest side in a $93,292 project.
Martinsville Street -- Addition of 850 feet of curb and gutter, 850 feet of sidewalk, overlay and storm sewer between Bloomington Street and Zinc Mill Road in a $139,979 project.
Market Street -- From Walnut to Liberty Street along the new city parking lot for pavement overlay and added curb and gutter in a $96,867 project that will add a couple additional on-street parking spots, Mayor Dory said.
Indianapolis Road (First to 10th Street), Washington Street (Bloomington Street to Wood Street) and Jackson Street (Poplar Street to Veterans Highway) -- Seal cracks and treat surface. Mill and overlay bad sections such as the pavement in front of First National Bank and the section of South Jackson Street between the VFW post and Hanna Street.
Mayor Dory said at the recent City Council meeting that Community Crossings checks are expected to be distributed in September -- the money is issued upfront in this program rather than being paid out locally first and then being reimbursed by the state. Some work could still be done this fall, Dory said.
The local road and bridge matching grant fund was created by the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Pence in March. The Monday announcements were made by Lt. Gov. Holcomb and INDOT officials during separate check presentations to officials in Avon, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and Westfield.
"Few states have invested more in infrastructure over the last decade than Indiana and these Community Crossings grants are another way we demonstrate why Indiana is the Crossroads of America," Holcomb said. "Communities in Central Indiana are showing a strong commitment to modernizing infrastructure by pursuing these grants and we are looking forward to seeing the projects that these funds will help complete."
A complete list of central Indiana cities, towns and counties receiving matching funds through Community Crossings for the calendar year 2016 call for projects is available online at www.in.gov/indot/3569.htm.