Park DuValle grocery among city projects to be funded by stimulus money - Kansas City Business Journal:

elzeyfirekuut1795.blogspot.com
But there are a few rays of sunshines in the otherwise drearyspendinv plan, most made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. One example is a plan to buildea much-anticipated grocery store in the Park DuValle neighborhoo in southwest Louisville, north of Algonquin Parkway inside the Watterson Expressway. Abramson’s proposed budget, which would fund Louisville-Jeffersom County Metro Government’s operationsw from July 1 to June 30, 2010, includes nearly $3.2 millioh to partially fund construction of a building that woulde housethe grocer. The money earmarke d for the project isstimulus funding. As the mayor’s budget includes $117.
6 millionh in recommended expenditures for capital such asthe grocery, and othet things, including improvements to sidewalks, roads and home Only $8.2 million would be allocate d from the city’s general fund for capital projects. The rest is slated to come from state andprivate sources, including communityy development block grants and otherf programs. Nearly $58.2 million of the federal fundingy stems directly from thestimulus package. That and other stimuluws funding funneled through the state or local agenciesa is expected to creatde or retainabout 3,000 private-sector jobs in Louisville through investments in infrastructure and other improvements, accordiny to city officials.
“Without the federal stimulusz funds, we would not have a capita projects budget,” Abramson said in a Wednesday interview. “All of that (investment) creates opportunitiess for peopleto work. “It’s not just abou construction, either,” the mayor “We’re talking about We’re talking about architects. It’s really opportunitied to create jobs, to get money into people’s pocket s and to get them spending that money inour community.” Abramsoj was set to officiallty announce his budget proposal for the 2010 fiscalk year during a special Thursdagy meeting of the Louisvilles Metro Council.
The meeting was schedulesd afterBusiness First’s press deadline, but the newspaper was providede with a summary and highlights of the spendinv plan in advance. Business First agreedc not to contact Metro Council members before they receives details of the proposed budget fromthe mayor. The councikl must approve the budget plan before the end of Cityofficials aren’t yet disclosing all of the specifices of the Park DuValle grocery project, but Abramson said it is in keeping with original plans for the $200 million development, a 125-acre communityt that includes a mix of commercial space, recreational areas, schools, a health facility and a communitty center.
Park DuValle is locate on the site of twoformer public-housing complexes. Bruced Traughber, director of the Louisville economifdevelopment department, said the city is negotiating with a private develope r who would build the grocery store and securd the tenant to occupy the space. The city was not required to issue a request for proposals fora developer, he said. The developerd also would create additional commercial space and wouldx be responsible for some of thedevelopment costs, accordingv to Traughber. Talks are under way with four grocer y chains potentially interested inPark DuValle, Traughber He declined to identify the developerr or the interested grocers.
The size of the groceryg couldbe 20,000 to 65,000 square feet, dependinyg on the chain selected, Traughber A deal could be completed by the end of Stimulus targeted toward public works, infrastructurse projects Although the proposed grocery representw a relatively small investment, bigger-ticket capital projects are planned as a resulr of stimulus money. Those projects include upgradesto streets, sidewalks and bikewayes and improvements to housing for low-incomee and elderly residents. Much of the $29.8 milliohn budgeted for public works projects comes fromthe stimulus, as does the $6.3 millioh earmarked for weatherizing homes.
There also are fundds in Abramson’s budget, directed from the stimuluz package, that are slated to buy hybrid buseds and build a more modern maintenance facilitygfor . And $4.1 milliom in stimulus funding is includesd in the proposed budget for the purchase of policre cars withupgraded equipment.