The Owensboro City Commission on Tuesday approved applying for a $5.35 million grant to facilitate upgrades to the storm sewer drainage system in the York Park area to mitigate localized flooding.
The funds would come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
Per the municipal order, the City of Owensboro agrees to the local share of 25% of the project cost, in the amount of $1.34 million. The project includes reconstructing the existing storm sewer system with larger conveyances as well as disconnection from the combined sewer system.
The York neighborhood has been undergoing designs for its new drainage system over the past year after some residents brought the flooding issue to the Commission’s attention. City Manager Nate Pagan said that the project is about 40% finished with its design phase.
“I know the project status right now is 40% through the design phase … so we still have several more months of the design process before we’ll begin,” Pagan said.
If awarded, the FEMA grant would allow the City to reallocate ARPA funds currently designated for the project elsewhere. However, Pagan said the City will move forward with the project regardless of whether the FEMA grant is awarded.
“The York drain project will proceed regardless if we’re awarded the grant. However, if the grant is unsuccessful, we will proceed with the project using ARPA funds as planned,” he said.
In other business, the Commission approved two annexations. The first is a 333-lot subdivision named Heatherstone which will be mapped across 134 acres. Jagoe Homes is developing the neighborhood, which will be off U.S. 60 West across near Audubon Elementary School.
“I want to give kudos to the Jagoe boys because they’ve done a tremendous job growing our community one house at a time. We certainly appreciate it,” Mayor Tom Watson said.
The City also annexed roughly 140 acres for the Big River Electric Corp. Transmission Operations Center that will be going behind the GRADD office and stretching to West Fifth Street Road.
Pagan noted that with the addition of the Transmission Operation Center, Big Rivers will be bringing in a $40 million investment along with approximately 70 jobs to the area.
As previously reported, the TOC building would include a roughly 30,000-square-foot office space that connects to a nearly 23,000-square-foot warehouse. That would then connect to a 33,500-square-foot vehicle storage facility. A detached 12,000-square-foot building would be used for vehicle maintenance.
