The City of Covington announced it received a $16.3 million federal grant to aid in the development of the former IRS processing center site.
On Tuesday, Covington was informed that it received a federal RAISE grant to be used for Phase II public infrastructure at the Covington Central Riverfront site, including wide sidewalks, a land bridge that reaches to the top of the Ohio River levee, and a public parking garage topped by a podium structure that will support festival and park space.
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, are federal grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation Department’s Discretionary Grant program that must be invested in road, rail, transit and port projects which promise to achieve national objectives.
During Tuesday’s city commission meeting, city manager Ken Smith announced the award, noting the program was highly competitive.
“We had applied twice before…but this time, with Elizabeth Wetzel and a lot of folks contributing, we were successful. And I have to tell you, I had no idea how competitive this was until we got the debrief after applying last year. There are literally hundreds of applications and a very vigorous review process. That $16 million is going to go a long way to helping us complete phase two of that project.”
Wetzel is the city’s director of Special Projects and Intergovernmental Affairs. Commissioners each took the opportunity to thank her for her efforts in securing the grant.
Earlier this year, Covington Mayor Joe Meyer visited the White House to lobby President Joe Biden and his staff regarding the development. The opportunity to speak directly with officials was key, he said.
“This grant is going to help us re-grid that area,” said Commissioner Tim Downing. “We’ve talked a lot about how important this is for our city. This is a major step forward for us. And, it helps make sure that our city is not carrying the entirety of that financial burden. So thank you, again, to our staff for working hard to make sure that we could secure this.”
Qualifying for a RAISE grant requires passing through a rigorous application process. Covington’s application details how the city plans to address an array of issues, namely safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity, partnerships and collaboration and innovation.
“This is a competitive USDOT grant with very specific requirements,” Wetzel said in the release. “A lot of communities around the country were vying for these limited funds. That Covington succeeded speaks highly of our collaborative hard work and also of the value of the City’s vision to transform this prime 23-acre site into a connective center of activity.”
The RAISE grant announcement follows a separate $10 million investment in that infrastructure by the Kentucky General Assembly.