Goodwater awarded $300,000 grant for demolition
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Gov. Ivey awards $18 million in grants to improve communities
On January 20, at a ceremony in Montgomery, Goodwater was awarded a $300,000 grant to continue demolition projects on dilapidated buildings in the downtown area. Pictured from left are Goodwater Fire Chief Elmore Unbehant, City Councilmember Louis Childs, Gov. Kay Ivey, Mayor Lonnie Caldwell, ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell, and Rep. Ben Robbins. Photo submitted
Special to the News
The Town of Goodwater was recently included as one of more than 50 in Alabama to receive a Community Development Block Grant.
Goodwater was awarded a $300,000 at the Community Development Block Grants Award Ceremony last Thursday, January 20, in Montgomery. The grant will be used to continue the project of demolition on numerous dilapidated buildings in the downtown area, according to Fire Chief Elmore Unbehant.
In addition to Unbehant, others on hand for the grant award presentation were Goodwater Mayor Lonnie Caldwell, Councilmember Louis Childs and Alabama Rep. Ben Robbins.
Out of the 53 grants awarded, this was the only one that went to Coosa County. There were 22 grants awarded for north Alabama, four for north central Alabama, 14 in south central Alabama, and 13 in south Alabama.
Gov. Kay Ivey awarded $18.2 million to provide improvements in more than 50 Alabama towns, cities and counties.
The Community Development Block Grants will enable local governments to provide public water service to households, repair damaged streets and roads, improve sewer systems, drainage, and more. The governor awarded the grants at a ceremony last Thursday afternoon in the State Capitol.
“Community Development Block Grants are a means in which local governments can address some of their more pressing needs,” said Governor Ivey. “I am pleased to award these grants, and I commend those local officials who recognized those needs and took the time and effort to seek an answer through this grant program.”
The CDBG program in Alabama is awarded annually on a competitive basis in several categories: small city (population of 2,999 or less), large city (population 3,000 or more), county, and community enhancement. Additionally, planning grants are awarded to help local governments examine and address needs.
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 is pleased to join with Gov. Ivey in this grant program that annually helps Alabama towns, cities and counties obtain financial assistance for projects that benefit their communities,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “We look forward to seeing the positive impacts that these projects have on the quality of life for residents of these communities.”
Specifically, the $300,000 grant awarded to Goodwater is listed as being to “raze and remove debris of four dilapidated commercial buildings.”
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management, and recreation development.