Peoria, Ariz. (April 21, 2010) – Aggressive pursuit
of federal dollars and a handful of shovel-ready projects have combined to boost
the city of Peoria’s proposed capital construction plan, which the City Council
discussed in budget workshops that began last week.
Key parts of that plan include completing the
Beardsley Road connection to Loop 101, beginning construction of an 80-acre
community park in southern Peoria and building key segments of the city trail
system along New River. Money to support economic development, including signage
and way-finding improvements around the Peoria Sports Complex and a commercial
rehabilitation program in Old Town Peoria are part of the proposed plan as well.
The plan takes advantage of considerable city
successes in obtaining federal and regional funds for major projects. The
Beardsley Connection to Loop 101 was shovel-ready at the right time, and
subsequently received federal stimulus dollars and federal street funds
administered through the Maricopa Association of Governments. Ultimately,
Peoria’s share of construction for that $25 million project is just over $1
million.
All told, Peoria transportation projects have
benefited from nearly $88 million in non-local funding, including over $47
million from the county transportation sales tax, $32.5 million from the federal
surface transportation program, nearly $4 million in American Reinvestment and
Recovery Act stimulus funds, and $4 million in transportation closeout funds
through the Maricopa Association of Governments.
“Using this money to build Peoria projects means
that we can maintain our priorities in next year’s proposed capital plan,” says
Jeff Tyne, Peoria’s budget director. “It has also allowed us to accelerate
construction of important projects.”
Although the plan itself is smaller than in previous
years, this is primarily a side effect of the growth slowdown.
“Most of the reduction comes from eliminating many
development-related projects in the ten-year program, as the need for those
projects has clearly diminished.”
Projects in the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Capital
Improvement Budget include:
-
Beginning construction of Peoria’s second
community park, southeast of 83rd and Olive avenues;
-
Construction of Centennial Plaza, a recreation and
gathering area on the municipal campus;
-
Expansion of the Peoria Community Center at 83rd
Drive and Jefferson Street;
-
Renovation of Osuna Park at 83rd and Grand
avenues;
-
Construction of neighborhood parks in the vicinity
of 93rd Avenue and Cortez Street (Scotland Yard Park), 73rd Drive and Terramar
Boulevard (Palo Verde Park), and Lake Pleasant Elementary School (Vistancia
Park #2);
-
New River trail segments between Northern and
Olive avenues and between Bell Road and Union Hills Drive, and trail
underpasses at Grand, Peoria and Olive avenues;
-
Completion of the Beardsley Connection to Loop
101.
The plan also includes money for community works
projects, which are smaller local projects that benefit local residents. These
kinds of projects include bike lane retrofits, small-scale road widening,
sidewalk installation, landscaping improvements and park renovations.
Peoria’s proposed budget and capital improvement plan are available online at
www.peoriaaz.gov/budget.
