CITY GETS NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT

The city of Cape Girardeau Friday was awarded a $446,500 community development block grant for a neighborhood project in South Cape Girardeau.

City manager Michael Miller said city officials were notified that they had received funding for the Jefferson-Shawnee Parkway Neighborhood Restoration Project. The grant would be combined with private housing efforts, city funding and in-kind services for a combined total of $712,956, Miller said.

The Jefferson-Shawnee Parkway neighborhood is a three-block area bordered by Jefferson Street on the north, Sprigg Street on the west, Asher Street on the east, and the new Highway 74, also called Shawnee Parkway, on the south.

City planner Kent Bratton said the grant will be used mainly for home rehabilitation projects in the neighborhood. However, funding also will be used to replace 2,000 feet of substandard water lines in the area and for some curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements, he said.

Bratton said applications will be made for homeowners wanting to participate in the restoration project. Preference will be given to elderly applicants and those with low income, he said.

"The bulk of the money is going for fixing up homes for homeowners, preferably those that meet the income guidelines," he said. "If we have some left, then we'll also do rental units."

Unlike the five other neighborhood projects that have been completed in South Cape Girardeau, Bratton said the newest project is designed for completion in one year. These projects benefit the city and homeowners because they help increase the appearance and value of the neighborhood.

State Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, agreed. "This is a very significant grant," she said in a telephone interview. "It's a good thing to help make renovations and to help the city."

Bratton said letters informing residents of the neighborhood project will be mailed soon. City crews will perform the labor for some of the grant projects, but most of the restoration will be done by local contractors, said Bratton.