Village of Dongola among recipients for state public infrastructure grant funds

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, DCEO, on Monday, April 5, announced the recipients for the 2020 Community Development Block Grants, CDBG, for Public Infrastructure. 

A total of $18.2 million will be awarded to 34 communities across the state.

The funds will enable cities and communities in non-metropolitan areas to make repairs to shared water and sewer infrastructure that will enhance safety and quality of life for those who live there.

With projects spread throughout Illinois, an estimated 113,266 residents will benefit from infrastructure upgrades.

Communities in the Southern Illinois area which are receiving grants include:

The Village of Dongola, $550,000. The Village of Coulterville, $550,000. The Village of Galatia, $430,000. The Village of Ridgway, $550,000.

Public infrastructure grants are designed to provide communities with funding to improve public infrastructure and eliminate conditions detrimental to public health, safety and public welfare.  

Eligible uses of funding include repairs and system upgrades for water/sewer lines, as well as new and reconstruction projects including sewer treatment systems, pump stations and more.  

 “DCEO is proud to award $18 million to help downstate and rural communities across Illinois make essential repairs to aging water and sewer infrastructure that will improve access to clean and safe water,” said Sylvia Garcia, acting director of DCEO, in a news release. 

“The Public Infrastructure program invests in projects that improve the health and safety of water systems – which in turn creates construction jobs and reduces the costs to consumers of old infrastructure. With another round of funding currently available for the 2021 program year, we encourage more downstate communities to apply to receive these funds.”  

Grants will be provided in every economic development region, with the majority of funds benefitting primarily rural geographies. 

Local governments were able to request a maximum award of $550,000, with an average grant size for the 2020 program at $536,000. 

Preference was given for projects located in underserved areas, opportunity zones and those which proposed a non-state matching component to drive the maximum investment to the area.

When matched with other local funds, the grants will generate repairs valued at over $20 million.