Legislators Praise Durant Officials for Work Obtaining Enhancement Funding
June 23rd, 2009
OKLAHOMA CITY– The city of Durant was one of thirty Oklahoma communities to receive Transportation Enhancement funds Monday from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). Sen. Jay Paul Gumm and Rep. John Carey praised local officials saying the funds were a direct result of their hard work.
"I want to thank Durant's mayor Jerry Tomlinson, our city council, and members of the Main Street Program - especially its director Donna Dow - who has spent years working to revitalize the city’s downtown,” said Gumm, D-Durant. “Streetscape improvements like this have helped to create a vibrant downtown where goods, services and great restaurants improve the quality of life for our residents and our visitors.”
Rep. Carey agreed with the senator saying the funding was a unique opportunity for the community to make further improvements. "As citizens of Durant, we are fortunate to have such good community leaders that are looking out for our well-being and that of our great city," said Carey, D-Durant. “This grant is a tremendous opportunity that only a handful of communities received and it will help us further beautify and improve our great city.”
Enhancement projects use funds specifically dedicated to community improvement, beautification, streetscaping, landscaping, bike paths, trails, sidewalks and historical preservation among others. The funding awarded to Durant will help pay for the fourth phase of a streetscape project which includes replacing sidewalks and making them ADA compliant, improving lighting and installing landscaping.
The improvements in this phase will be made on Evergreen from N. 2nd to N. 3rd and on Main Street from S. 1st to the Union Pacific Railroad. These projects are funded with a combination of $12 million from ODOT's federal Enhancement Program plus the local community's and organization's matches.
Durant received just under $400,000 in federal funding and $100,000 in local funding. The federal funding will be available in fiscal years 2010-2011 and work will begin at that time.