State Awards $7.2M in Community Grants to 30 Arkansas Cities, Counties

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has awarded $7.2 million in grants to 21 community projects across the state.

From that total, $4.75 million in Community Development Block Grants was given to 30 Arkansas cities and counties. The grants are intended to support a variety of non-housing public facility and public infrastructure projects.

Funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant State Program for Small Cities.

The projects include:

• Arkansas City, Desha County, Arkansas City Waste Treatment Pond Improvements, $300,000
• Ash Flat, Sharp County, Ash Flat Street Overlay Project, $244,317
• Ashdown, Little River County, Ashdown Drainage Project, $299,530
• Bald Knob, White County, Bald Knob Manhole Project, $299,879
• Booneville, Logan County, Booneville Sidewalk Project, $200,000
• Etowah, Mississippi County, Etowah Wastewater Treatment Plant Project, $300,000
• Evening Shade, Sharp County, Evening Shade Water Line Project, $237,508
• Gentry, Benton County, Gentry Stormwater Drainage Project, $192,150
• Hackett, Sebastian County, Hackett Sidewalk Project, $125,600
• Hatfield, Polk County, Hatfield Street Project, $148,075
• McGehee, Desha County, McGehee Water/Wastewater System Rehab, $299,954
• Murfreesboro, Pike County, Murfreesboro Drainage Improvement Project, $300,000
• Norman, Montgomery County, Norman Wastewater Improvement Project, $299,921
• Patterson, Woodruff County, Patterson Water Treatment Plant Upgrade, $270,275
• Stephens, Ouachita County, Stephens Water Meter Project, $181,043
• Tollette, Howard County, Tollette Wastewater Project, $299,996
• Van Buren County, Van Buren County Street Project, $300,000
• Waldron, Scott County, Waldron Sidewalk Project, $172,008
• Wilmot, Ashley County, Wilmot Water/Wastewater Improvement Project, $299,954
• Wilton, Little River County, Wilton Water/Wastewater Improvement Project, $283,268

The state awarded $2.42 million to nine cities and counties to assist in local government-level recovery, prevention, and preparation efforts related to COVID-19. The funding was allocated to the state as part of the CARES Act.

The nine projects include:

• Blytheville, Mississippi County, Blytheville Homeless Shelter Project, $275,000
• Camden, Ouachita County, Camden Community Center Project, $299,057
• Crossett, Ashley County, Crossett Youth Center Project, $300,000
• Garland County, Mid America Museum HVAC Project, $281,700
• Jackson County, Jackson County Homeless Shelter Project, $156,825
• Paragould, Greene County, Paragould Homeless Shelter Project, $281,500
• Paris, Logan County, Paris Food Pantry Project, $300,000
• Pope County, MARVA Workshop Project, $300,000
• Sebastian County, Sebastian County Senior Centers Project, $230,013

To be eligible for funds through both programs, communities must have a population of less than 50,000 and at least 51% of the people who benefit from the project must be of low- to moderate-income, or the project must meet another of the program’s national objectives, aid in prevention of slum or blight, or meet an urgent need.