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City wins major grant for 7th Street reconstruction

A rendering done by Downtown Development consultants Shannon Murphy Landscape Architects and Charlier Associates shows the concept for a redesigned Seventh Street pedestrian plaza area. Two-way traffic would be maintained on Seventh, but the area could be closed to vehicles for festivals, markets and other special events.
City of Glenwood Springs / DDA |

Garfield Federal Mineral lease district fall grants

Traditional grant program

Glenwood Springs, Seventh Street reconstruction — $400,000

Rifle, West Fifth Street reconstruction — $300,000

Silt, wastewater line project, $200,000

Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, 14-passenger CNG vehicle for Traveler program — $80,500

Garfield County School District 16 — $58,580

Mini grant program ($25,000 each)

Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, mobile command trailer

Carbondale, Thompson House improvements

Glenwood Springs, shooting range improvements

New Castle, pedestrian trail safety project

Parachute, Off highway vehicle and hiking trail signage

Rifle, police patrol vehicle

Roaring Fork School District, Canyon Creek Schoolhouse roof

Silt, water tank repair

Glenwood Springs’ efforts to revamp Seventh Street following completion of the new Grand Avenue bridge got a big boost Wednesday with a $400,000 Garfield Federal Mineral Lease District grant award.

It was the top grant awarded in the fall FMLD grant cycle, and a testament to the special grant organization’s willingness to fund area capital projects that can be phased in over time.

“We did look at this project favorably, for a couple of reasons,” said Gregg Rippy, president of the Garfield FMLD board.



“For one, the city is looking to augment this funding with some other types of grants,” he said.

In addition, the project is “scalable,” in that it can be completed in increments if initial funding falls short without losing the FMLD grant, Rippy said.



The same is true for the city of Rifle’s ongoing reconstruction of West Fifth Street, which was awarded a $300,000 grant, Rippy said.

Other traditional grants awarded this fall were $200,000 for a sewer line project in Silt, $80,500 for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority to buy a 14-passenger compressed natural gas-powered shuttle to use in the senior Traveler program, and $58,580 for Garfield School District 16 to purchase STEM program materials.

Glenwood Springs is seeking a mix of funding to pay for the estimated $3 million in planned Seventh Street improvements between, including a pedestrian plaza on the north side of the street where the new pedestrian bridge landing and elevator tower are currently under construction.

Reconstruction of the street from Grand Avenue to Blake will also provide landscaping and outdoor dining areas, with the possibility of closing off the street for occasional special events while maintaining through traffic. The area around the Amtrak station would also see access improvements.

The city is also awaiting word on a $1 million Colorado Department of Local Affairs Energy/Mineral Impact grant to help pay for the project, and the city has tentatively budgeted $1 million in next year’s budget for its matching share.

“The enhanced Seventh Street project will serve as a vibrant regional destination that will continue to revitalize our downtown commercial core,” Mayor Michael Gamba said. “These funds help bring that project to fruition.”

Glenwood Springs was also the recipient of one of eight $25,000 FMLD mini grant awards to pay for improvements to the shooting range at South Canyon.

That project “will benefit law enforcement personnel by expediting improvements to allow for higher quality training of officers, and will also benefit city residents and (other) users of the facility,” Gamba said.

FMLD funds come from mineral lease and royalty payments on oil and gas and other types of mineral leasing on federal lands in Garfield County.

Fall grants in the twice-a-year FMLD program came to a total of more than $1.2 million, Rippy said.

Receipts into the program were down about 50 percent this year, at $1.7 million compared to $3.4 million last year, due to fewer well starts on federal leases and depressed natural gas pricing nationally.

The spring 2017 grant cycle will begin in February, with award announcements anticipated in April.


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