Federal funding bill provides $7 million for Central IL projects

CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Almost $7 million in federal funding is coming to Central Illinois through the government’s latest funding bill.

The bill, signed into law by President Biden over the weekend, includes $136.1 million for Illinois’ 13th congressional district. Democratic Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski supported the legislation and applauded Biden for singing it.

“With President Biden’s signature, $136.1 million is headed to projects that serve communities across Illinois 13th District, and additional resources are headed to federal programs that serve our veterans, families and rural communities,” Budzinski said in a statement. “Congress still has important work ahead to fully fund the federal government, but this is an encouraging and exciting step in the right direction.”

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The money is going toward 15 projects in Budzinski’s district, including six in Sangamon, Macon and Champaign counties.

$963,000 is going toward the establishment of a Real Time Crime Center on the University of Illinois campus. The center would allow for expanded and enhanced crime prevention, monitoring and response to crimes in progress.

$850,000 is going toward the City of Champaign’s Garden Hills Revitalization Project. The projects’ goal is to increase safety and accessibility for the community and includes the construction of a new park in an underserved area of the community. Bridges over new detention basins are also being built to address flooding issues in the neighborhood.

In Decatur, $500,000 is going to Richland Community College for its EnRich Educational Campus Housing Project. The project houses students in several different programs, including the EV Workforce Academy and the Academy and Nursing Program. This, Budzinski said, allows for the provision of new workforce training programs that close the skills gap in Illinois.

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Two projects in Springfield are also getting money from the funding bill. $1 million is going to Moving Pillsbury Forward as they redevelop the area around the former Pillsbury factory. A further $1.6 million is going to the city’s Springfield’s CAP 1908 Innovation Co-Working Center, which will revitalize the city’s historic Southtown neighborhood.

Finally, the Village of Pawnee is getting $500,000 for to replace its water mains, which stretch for 7,550 feet and serve 121 homes, a church and the village school.

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