Fifteen regional and local planning projects will receive approximately $1 million under the Statewide Planning Program’s Planning Challenge Grant Program, Governor Chafee announced on February 23 at a public ceremony in the Atrium Gallery of the Department of Administration. Selected from 33 proposals requesting over $2.3 million, the 15 projects slated for funding come from a variety of project sponsors and propose innovative solutions to address land use and transportation issues faced by Rhode Island communities.
“These Challenge Grants represent a creative use of Federal funds to help Rhode Island cities and towns to plan for their future growth and development. They include projects of statewide significance, such as the Warwick Station Development District, to projects more local in scale, such as the Woonsocket Main Street Livability Plan, and the joint collaboration between Pawtucket and Central Falls. Through this partnership with our local governments and non profit agencies, we are working together to advance both state and local initiatives in transportation, land use, and economic development,” Governor Chafee said.
Grants announced today go to ten municipalities, three non-profit organizations, one academic institution, and one state agency and will support planning projects having an estimated value, including sponsor-match and leveraged funds, of approximately $1.5 million.
Grant recipients announced today are: Grow Smart Rhode Island; the Cities of Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, Woonsocket, and Warwick; the Towns of Exeter, Johnston, Tiverton, Smithfield, and Warren; the Providence Plan; the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resource Center/Rhode Island Sea Grant; the Olneyville Housing Corporation; and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Projects include updates to local comprehensive plans, downtown redevelopment plans, funding for the Grow Smart Land use Training Collaborative, and the investigation of alternative transportation modes. To see a summary of the all grant awards, including contact information, please visit: http://www.ri.gov/press/view/15958
