What to Do With $400K? Village Board Looks at How to Spend Grant Money

It's a nice decision for the to have to make, figuring out how to spend $400,000.

The Village Board reviewed plans Monday for how to spend a $400,000 state Department of Commerce and Economic Development grant on downtown improvements. 

At a Committe of the Whole meeting, the board considered the four possible projects that the grant would fund:

• Paririe Park parking lot development: Create a 1.5-acre parking lot on the 3.5-acre, village-owned tract of land adjacent to Prairie Park and the in . The remaining 2.3 acres would be landscaped. Cost: $275,000.
• Downtown streetscape improvements: Work along Kansas Street would rebuild sidewalks and relocate curbs and landscaping at the corners of Kansas and Ash streets and Kansas and Oak streets. Plans show a possible outdoor sidewalk cafe added to . Cost: $15,000 to $20,000.
• Lights on parking lot: Lights would be added to the lot to improve pedestrian safety. Cost: $45,000.
• Downtown lighting improvements: Replace streetlights throughout the downtown area to improve public safety. The project would need 20 lights at $3,500 each. Cost: $70,000.

Village officials will be talking with residents and downtown business owners this week about the projects, and the public will be able to comment on the plans at a series of meetings, open houses and public hearings. The first opportunity will be at the Departmental Operations Committee meeting Oct. 12. Open houses to review the projects will be Oct. 14 and 17, and a public hearing will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 before the Village Board approves the projects at its meeting the same night.

Although there is no set deadline to decide how to use the grant money, Mayor Jim Holland said he would like to move forward on these projects this month, something he said he thinks is doable barring any surprises. 

The village applied for this grant about two years ago, and Holland thanked State Rep. Renee Kosel and State Sen. Christine Radogno for their efforts in securing the money.