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

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But there are a few rays of sunshine in the otherwisre drearyspending plan, most made possible by the Americahn Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. One examplse is a plan to builda much-anticipated grocergy store in the Park DuValld neighborhood in southwest Louisville, north of Algonquihn Parkway inside the Watterson Expressway. Abramson’s proposed budget, whicuh would fund Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government’s operations from July 1 to June 30, includes nearly $3.2 million to partially fund construction of a buildint that would house the The money earmarked for the projectt isstimulus funding. As proposed, the mayor’z budget includes $117.
6 million in recommended expenditures forcapitakl projects, such as the grocery, and othef things, including improvements to sidewalks, roades and home weatherization. Only $8.2 million woulr be allocated fromthe city’es general fund for capital projects. The rest is slated to come from state andprivate sources, including community development block grantsz and other programs. Nearly $58.2 millionn of the federal funding stems directlyy from thestimulus package.
That and other stimuluds funding funneled through the state or localo agencies is expected to create or retainabour 3,000 private-sector jobs in Louisville through investments in infrastructure and other improvements, according to city “Without the federal stimulus we would not have a capital projects Abramson said in a Wednesday interview. “All of that (investment) creates opportunitiees for peopleto work. “It’z not just about construction, either,” the mayor added. “We’rer talking about engineers. We’re talking abour architects.
It’s really opportunitiews to create jobs, to get money into people’s pockets and to get them spendinbg that money inour community.” Abramson was set to officiallyt announce his budget proposal for the 2010 fiscaol year during a special Thursday meeting of the Louisvilled Metro Council. The meeting was scheduled afteBusiness First’s press deadline, but the newspaper was providedx with a summary and highlights of the spending plan in Business First agreed not to contacg Metro Council members before they received details of the proposex budget from the mayor. The council must approve the budge t plan before the endof June.
City officials aren’t yet disclosing all of the specifics of the Park DuVallegroceryg project, but Abramson said it is in keepingt with original plans for the $200 milliojn development, a 125-acre community that includes a mix of commercial space, recreational areas, schools, a healtyh facility and a community center. Park DuValle is locateds on the site of twoformer public-housing Bruce Traughber, director of the Louisvillee economic development department, said the city is negotiatinvg with a private developert who would build the grocery store and securre the tenant to occupy the space.
The city was not require d to issue a requesyt for proposals fora developer, he The developer also would create additional commercial space and wouldf be responsible for some of the development according to Traughber. Talks are underd way with four grocery chains potentially interested inPark DuValle, Traughber said. He declinecd to identify the developer or the interested The size of the grocery couldbe 20,00o to 65,000 square feet, dependiny on the chain selected, Traughber said. A deal coul be completed by the endof June.
Stimulusx targeted toward public infrastructure projects Although the proposed groceruy represents a relativelysmall investment, bigger-tickett capital projects are planned as a result of stimulus Those projects include upgrades to streets, sidewalks and bikewayz and improvements to housing for low-incomwe and elderly residents. Much of the $29.8 million budgetex for public works projects comes from the as doesthe $6.3 million earmarked for weatherizingf homes. There also are funde in Abramson’s budget, directedd from the stimulus package, that are slated to buy hybrixd buses and build a more modern maintenancde facilityfor . And $4.
1 million in stimulus funding is included in the proposedr budget for the purchase of police cars withupgrade equipment.