MONTGOMERY—Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded Community Development Block Grants totaling $1.8 million for projects that will improve the quality of life for residents of five communities in Calhoun, Clay and Talladega counties.
“Each of these grants represents important projects that will significantly benefit hundreds of Alabamians,” Bentley said. “I am pleased to help local officials enhance the quality of life for their residents.”
• Childersburg is receiving $450,000 to rehabilitate aging, crumbling clay sewer lines along 16th Avenue NW, Sadie Lee Drive, Cooper Drive, 13th Street NW, Moten and Madera circles and Wilson Avenue. City officials say cracks in the existing lines cause overflows through manholes and into residents’ yards. The city also will demolish seven aging structures in the project area. Childersburg is contributing $45,077 to complete the project.
• Clay County will use a $348,816 grant to extend reliable public water service to 37 households and one business along County Road 5 in the Millerville community. Residents have always depended on private wells for their water, but county officials say the water is often dirty and foul-smelling and the wells often run dry, forcing residents to haul in water. The county has committed $34,882 toward the water-line extension project.
• Hobson City is receiving a $350,000 grant to repair 16 aging and structurally unsound homes along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Church Street. The city will cap repairs at $25,000 per home, and homeowners who participate in the program will be required to assist with rehabilitation and complete a training course about home maintenance and managing finances.
• Piedmont will use a $450,000 grant to replace aging, cracked sewer lines in a six-block area from Gadsden Street to Main Street, including Second through Fifth avenues and Alabama Street. The cracks result in overflows during rainstorms, and residents often report foul odors and sewage backups in toilets and yards. The project area includes 112 homes, two businesses and Piedmont Elementary and Middle schools. The city is contributing $84,970 to the project.
• Sylacauga is receiving $250,000 to demolish the old East Highland Memorial High School building. City officials say the dilapidated building, vacant since 2004 and full of asbestos and broken glass, poses a danger to children playing in adjacent ball fields and recreation areas. The city plans to build a park on the site and is contributing $222,500 to complete the project.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, workforce development, water resource management and recreation development.
Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers