Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently recognized the City of Thomasville as one of 60 Georgia communities that will receive a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). In 2021, CDBGs with a combined total of $43 million have been issued throughout the state. The City of Thomasville will receive $750,000 from the 2021 CDBG for proposed water, wastewater, and drainage improvements in the Dewey City neighborhood.
“We are extremely appreciative of the funding provided by Governor Kemp and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs,” said Alan Carson, City Manager. “Dewey City, like many areas in our community, requires significant infrastructure upgrades. The approval of this funding is a major step towards improving the infrastructure safety and functionality in this historic area of Thomasville.”
The CDBG program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (GDCA). Grants are awarded annually on a competitive basis. “This year, GDCA received more than 100 applications with requests for more than $70 million in funding,” said Carson. “The City of Thomasville was the recipient of $750,000 in CDBG funding for the Fletcherville area in 2017 and 2018. We intend to pursue 2022 CDBG funding for phase two of the necessary improvements in the Dewey City neighborhood.”
Carson said that the 2021 funding will be used to address water, wastewater, street, and stormwater improvements from Alexander Street to Felix Street, and Martin Luther King Junior Drive to Burns Street. “The proposal includes improvements in water and wastewater services through the replacement of existing water mains in the area as well as the installation of curb and gutter, inlets, fill, and yard drains,” said Carson. “These projects will bring significant improvement to stormwater drainage in the area.”
Additional project funding for the proposed infrastructure improvements will come from various sources. “In total, the project will cost more than $1.6 million,” said Carson. “Additional funding will come from the 2018 SPLOST along with water and wastewater capital budgets.”
According to Carson, the CDBG program supports projects in Georgia’s small and rural communities that create jobs and assist citizens with low to moderate incomes. “This year’s statewide grant awards will fund $29.9 million in infrastructure projects, $5.8 million in housing and multiactivity projects, and $7.4 million in various building projects,” said Carson. “This funding assists with state-wide critical infrastructure improvements of water, wastewater, stormwater drainage, and street improvements along with neighborhood revitalization and construction of community facilities.”
City staff are working on plans to schedule a Dewey City informational session in the months to come. “The goal of this informational session is to provide area residents with insights into the CDBG process, as well as to address any questions the community may have about phase two of the project,” said Sherri Cain, Public Outreach Manager. “The session will also allow residents of the area to share additional utilities or other concerns with our staff. We look forward to continuing open communications with residents as we work to improve the infrastructure of the Dewey City neighborhood.”
For more information about Community Development Block Grants, please visit Thomasville.org or call the City of Thomasville’s Engineering Department at 229-227-7009.