By Chrysa Keenon | Echo
Last Friday, Upland was awarded the Community Crossings Grant of $286,897.50 from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to be used toward road funding.
Described by the INDOT website, "Community Crossings is a partnership between INDOT and Hoosier communities, both urban and rural, to invest in infrastructure projects that catalyze economic development, create jobs and strengthen local transportation networks."
According to Town Manager Jonathan Perez, receiving the grant will help achieve the town's goal of funding multiple projects for road improvement. This helps the town move forward with the fulfillment of The Master Plan, a list of construction and town improvements implemented by Upland in 2015.
In order to be eligible for the grant, a Pavement Assessment Plan was required, which Upland had not previously maintained. The town was allowed to create a Pavement Assessment Plan and apply for the grant simultaneously.
Perez said he started working on the grant as soon as he took office in May. He held knowledge of how to apply for the grant from his previous government work and focused his first month and a half assisting the town in the process.
"(The grant is) focused on local roads," Perez said. "It'll be the roads that arguably are the worst ones in town that we submitted to go after funding for."
Perez predicts the construction will be outsourced and it will not create any jobs in the community. The road improvements are expected to be completed by next summer.
Upland Council President John Bonham thanked INDOT for allowing the simultaneous action to be done. In the press release issued by the town, Bonham noted that the grant could not be completed without the work of Perez, town employees and TRIAD & Associates. Yet receiving this grant will not slow down the effort of Upland improvements.
"We took a breath; the same day we received the award we were in meetings for additional grants," said Perez. "We're not resting; we're sticking to it and getting ready for the next one."
