$196,000 for Washington Ave. passes in HUD's budget

An appropriation of $196,000 for the City of Racine to rehabilitate and redevelop the historic buildings on Washington Avenue will be part of the FY’08 Department of Housing and Urban Development budget, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl announced today. Kohl is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“These funds will help breathe new life into the Washington Avenue corridor, encouraging new uses for the neglected properties along the street and bringing a new sense of community to the area,” Kohl said.

Racine will use this funding to purchase a property on Washington Avenue, rehabilitate it, and later sell the property. Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase other properties and revitalize the area. The city plans to create commercial retail space on the ground floors of the buildings and residential space above. The project is designed to spur development and encourage people to relocate to the area.

The FY’08 Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill has passed both chambers of Congress and is ready for the President’s signature. The project amount reflects a 2% across-the-board Administration cut in funding.

The omnibus budget bill provided a total of $555 billion in funding, including $70 billion in Iraq defense spending. Opponents said it also included 700 pages of non-crucial "earmarks," like Racine's portion, raising the question: "Is that all we got?"

Eight separate press releases from Sen. Kohl's office, pointing out millions of dollars in various grants -- for food safety, Womens and Children's programs, pesticide reduction, $1.3 million for Wisconsin's Ice Age National Scenic Trail, $2.2 million for the Wild Rivers Legacy Forest, etc. -- did mention one other Racine grant: $80,567 for the Health Care Network's Dental Clinic.