By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The city of St. Joseph has received a $2.5 million grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to initiate the River Bluff Gateway Project.
Kim Schutte, St. Joseph's Historic Preservation Planner, says this project is referred to as strategic community revitalization, which will cover a large swath of the city.
"It covers a lot of the city and a lot of the most challenged areas of the city," Schutte told St. Joseph Post. "We're doing sort of a three-pronged type approach. Structural rehabilitation, green and open space improvement and streetscape improvement."
The River Bluff Gateway Project focuses on four areas of the city - the Southside centered on King Hill Avenue, the 6th Street Corridor, Downtown and Northside centered on St. Joseph Avenue.
"It includes most of the traditional, historic downtown," Schutte explained. "And into the neighborhood centered around Washington Park Library."
Schutte says the money will will also be used to address homelessness.
Schutte says they'll try to use this $2.5 million as efficiently as possible, while also looking for other sources of revenue.
"It's a start," she said. "You know, $2.5 million, I always say, is a lot of money, but it's not a lot of money. So, it'll let us get started. We intend to be really smart with it, and we're also looking for other sources of funding to help with it."
"An application has gone into (U.S. Representative's) Sam Graves' office for federal funding. We don't expect to get it this go-around. Usually, you have to ask three times before they say yes. But, we're starting that. So, it's a start."
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