Du Quoin Lands $681,340 for Downtown Sidewalks
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin Mayor John Rednour's connectivity with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Gov. Pat Quinn's office is intact.
An announcement late Friday that Du Quoin will receive $681,340 to completely reconstruct sidewalks throughout downtown Du Quoin follows three other grant announcements earlier in the week. Collectively, they total $1,353,425 on top of the announced $13 million for a new Du Quoin High School earlier this summer.
All are timed to the eve of Governor Quinn's bid for re-election to a second term. And, no doubt, the large blocks of money will get the attention of Perry County voters.
The $681,340 downtown revitalization grant follows the announced release last week of a $42,085 downtown energy grant to replace doors and windows in the business district; $225,000 to resleeve over 9,000 feet of sanitary sewers in Du Quoin's northeast corner and finally $405,000 for construction of a solar energy park in the Du Quoin Industrial Park. Du Quoin will add $135,000 to that grant for a total of $540,000 to build the solar project.
Governor Pat Quinn Friday announced nearly $90 million in federal transportation enhancement funds for downtown redevelopment (Du Quoin's sidewalk project is among those listed)bike paths, streetscape beautification and other improvement projects in communities across Illinois.
The funding is a part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), a federally-funded competitive grant program that promotes alternative means of transportation. The latest round of awards includes a total of 120 Illinois projects and is expected to create or retain 900 jobs.
"This federal funding will give communities throughout Illinois the opportunity to beautify their streets, develop bike paths and improve hiking trails," said Governor Quinn. "These community-based projects will create jobs, expand travel choices, enhance safety and improve the quality of life for Illinoisans."
The Illinois Department of Transportation received 391 applications requesting ITEP funding totaling just under $370 million.
The Du Quoin Evening Call Friday announced that the state through its Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley is providing the City of Du Quoin a $405,000 grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to install an expandable solar photovoltaic system within the Du Quoin Industrial Park. The project will provide significant energy savings for industrial park users and further the state's green goals.
"Governor Quinn and I recognize the ability of the green industry to serve as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation. Du Quoin's renewable energy project will create six construction jobs using American-made technology, and will ultimately lower utility costs for businesses in the industrial Park," Director Ribley told the newspaper. Through these investments, we are reducing the state's dependence on foreign oils and moving Illinois towards a more sustainable future."
The 90-acre industrial park has been developed according to Urban Land Institute standards. The solar project will help businesses located within the industrial park offset the cost of electric power with solar power. The system will generate approximately 198,044 kWh of electricity annually. Generating this amount of renewable energy is equivalent to removing 27 cars from the road, decreasing oil consumption by 331 barrels, or planting 3,647 trees.
The City of DuQuoin is directing a portion of the energy generation to the industrial occupants as a means to offset the costs of locating in Du Quoin and thus creating and retaining employment.
"I am thankful to Governor Quinn for giving us this grant opportunity. Since the park is a little ways off of the interstate, this grant will be very helpful attracting businesses to our community," said Mayor John Rednour, City of Du Quoin.
The funding is being provided through the State's Community Renewable Energy Program, a component of the State's Energy Plan, and supports the installation of renewable energy projects, such as solar or wind projects.
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Illinois received over $130 million to implement the State's Energy Plan, Illinois' most comprehensive effort to date to address the state's energy production needs. More than 12,000 green sector jobs are being created over the next two years as a result of the Plan, which is administered by DCEO's State Energy Office.