The City of Manitowoc’s three applications for the Community Development Block Grant “Close Out” Plan were approved by Governor Tony Evers and the State Department of Administration.
Mayor Justin Nickels explained to SeehaferNews.com, “A good chunk of Custer Street will be reconstructed along with South 30th Street from Dewey to near Chermake Sausage Company and the Rahr-West Art Museum has been planning for and wanting an elevator for handicap accessibility to open up the third floor to the mansion and more accessibility to the entire mansion.”
Community Development Block Grant money is mostly federal funds used by many Wisconsin Cities in, but not exclusively for, low-income areas and handicap accessibility in public buildings.
Manitowoc has historically used these dollars to mainly fund their revolving loan program, but cities are in Nickels words “being forced to close out the program for various reasons…We have a lot of loans with local businesses that are still outstanding.” he said. “We are going to buy those out and start our own revolving loan program and utilize the dollars for local projects. We Have just over $4.6 million sitting out there that if we don’t come up with projects to use it on, we would lose it.”
Nearly $2.5 million will be used for the Custer Street Reconstruction, a little more than $1.6 million for South 30th Street reconstruction, and just over $576,000 for construction of the Rahr-West Art Museum ADA accessible elevator.
Businesses will still be responsible to pay the city back any money lent out under current terms of the original agreement.
Parameters of the Manitowoc’s revamped revolving loan program are expected to be revealed soon with work on the aforementioned projects scheduled to begin some-time next year.
