The State of Illinois announced this week that the City of Monmouth would receive $3 Million as part of the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital Program.
50 communities, also including Galesburg, Kewanee, and Aledo were awarded a portion of $106 Million towards projects to revitalize commercial corridors and main streets throughout the state.
The grants support projects that will revitalize commercial hubs, beautify and modernize downtowns, address critical infrastructure needs, boost jobs and improve the quality of life for residents.
Monmouth City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher tells WGIL that the city pursuing grant funding to assist with the re-beautification efforts of the city’s public square, a project that has been in the works for several years.
“This is our third application and finally we were successful. But I got to tell you, this will be a generational, legacy project. This will clearly transform the appearance of downtown Monmouth. It’s focused on really softening the view and creating a nice attractive streetscape for the four quadrants of the downtown.”
WGIL had previously reported that the city had applied for several grants since approving the enhancement plan.
Steinbrecher adds that the city is matching the grant with $300,000 in funds for the square project. The work will include changing the flow of traffic from two lanes to one and the addition of more greenspace for the square.
In addition to the $3M grant, the city has received additional funding for several other infrastructure projects around the square that will benefit businesses that occupy the city’s downtown.
The city received $1.2 Million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace the undersized water main around the square. Steinbrecher says the city currently cannot supply enough water pressure for businesses around the square to operate a fire sprinkler system and the replacement of the water mains would allow for that.
Additionally, another $2M project will see the sanitary sewer that crosses South Main Street. That sewer also crosses 1st Avenue and through some downtown businesses.
