NEW DETAILS: Fairborn outlines plan for $6.8M in federal ARPA funds

Jun. 19—FAIRBORN — Nearly 30% of the city's $6.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds is earmarked to renovate a former fire station while $1 million is set aside for stormwater projects.

And $500,000 each will go toward the Fairborn Phoenix project, economic development, Memorial Park construction and nonprofits/small businesses, city documents show.

Another $400,000 will go to repair the parking lot at Community Park, $300,000 will fund downtown façade upgrades while $275,000 will be used to buy a new fire engine and $250,000 for improvements to the Main Street/Central Avenue area, according to Fairborn records.

The plan to spend Fairborn's ARPA money is scheduled to be addressed by city council Tuesday night. The spending plan follows town hall meetings and an online survey on ways to use the money.

Last month, it was announced that Greene County and Fairborn would partner to give $1.5 million in federal funds to nonprofit groups.

Fairborn added $500,000 to the $1 million the county will provide to those organizations with the city's share designated for those within its jurisdiction, officials said.

More than 55% of Fairborn's nearly 750 survey respondents in early March expressed support for spending Fairborn ARPA money on infrastructure and community support services, results showed.

The ARPA funds must be spent on addressing issues impacted by COVID-19, guidelines state. They can be used in a variety of ways, including grants to local businesses or workers in essential jobs.

Fairborn's portion is part of a $130 billion relief plan for local governments signed last year by President Joe Biden.

The deadline to spend it is Dec. 31, 2024, officials said. It can also be encumbered by that date if it is spent by the end of 2026, they added.