Title
Accept the Reconnecting the West End Planning Grant
Action
Action:
A. Accept a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Reconnecting the West End planning grant,
B. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the Grant Agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, and
C. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $1,250,000 from various sources to the General Capital Projects Fund.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Debbie Smith, Transportation
Hannah Bromberger, Transportation
Katie Witherspoon, Transportation
Explanation
§ The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, which funds projects that study the removal, retrofit, or mitigation of highways that create a barrier to community connectivity.
§ On February 28, 2023, the city was awarded $1,000,000 for the city’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program proposal, Reconnecting the West End planning grant. This grant enables the study of the existing interchanges of I-77 at West 5th Street and I-77 at West Trade Street, in Council District 2.
§ The primary objective of the study is to address barriers to access, including safe and equitable mobility choices, and connectivity between the West End and Uptown, while balancing the goals of the community and the needs of the I-77 facility.
§ The City of Charlotte’s Reconnecting the West End grant was one of 45 grant awards out of 435 applications and included strong community support from the Knight Foundation, Historic West End Partners, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, INLIVIAN, Fifth Third Bank, Wells Fargo, LISC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, and Charlotte Center City Partners.
§ The total budget for the Reconnecting the West End planning grant is $1,250,000 and includes:
- $1,000,000 in federal grant funds,
- $125,000 in local funds from the Knight Foundation, and
- $125,000 in local funds from LISC Charlotte, with $100,000 provided by Fifth Third Bank and $25,000 from Wells Fargo.
§ The planning grant is anticipated to be complete by December 31, 2025.
Fiscal Note
Funding: General Capital Investment Plan
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Budget Ordinance