Applications Are Being Accepted Through September 30, 2012
Collinsville, Ill., July 9, 2012 . The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) today announced it has committed $1 million to its FY13 Park and Trail Grant Matching Program to help fund eligible projects throughout Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois. Applications are being accepted from communities from now through September 30, 2012. Grant decisions will be made by the end of December.
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MEPRD's Park and Trail Grant Matching Program was created to help further the District's work to help develop parks, greenways and trails throughout the bi-county area. In FY12, a total of $800,000 in grant funding was awarded to a variety of local projects. A few examples include: $62,875 to the Village of Maryville to construct the Fred Winters Passive Park featuring a trailhead for the MCT Schoolhouse Trail with parking, restrooms and two gazebo picnic areas; $50,000 to construct a new boundless playground in Edwardsville Township Park that will be designed, constructed and built so children and families with and without disabilities can play together in
an 80 percent accessible area; $300,000 to construct a trail through Southwestern Illinois College's (SWIC) campus and to the MetroLink Station, which includes the development of a safe bridge crossing over South Green Mount Road; and $62,500 to construct a skate park at the Public Safety Building in O'Fallon to provide a safe environment for skaters away from streets and storefronts.
Projects funded through MEPRD's Park and Trail Grant Matching Program are eligible for up to 25 percent of the total project cost or $300,000, whichever is less. Grant funds are paid out only after a funded project is 100 percent complete. All funded projects must be physically located within
Madison or St. Clair Counties in Illinois. No project or project sponsor shall receive more than one Park and Trail Grant per fiscal year from MEPRD.
"We are proud of the work we have been able to accomplish will all of our partners to date," commented Mike Buehlhorn, executive director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District. "Knowing this, we strongly encourage area communities to take advantage of these available funds by submitting applications for consideration by the end of September."
To learn more about the FY13 Park and Trail Grant Matching Program or to obtain the application, interested parties can visit www.meprd.org and click on "funding and grants." Applications are being accepted now through 4 p.m. CST on September 30, 2012.
The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) was formed by voters in November 2000, and is responsible for the development of parks, greenways, and trails in Madison County and St. Clair County, Illinois. The District often supplements the efforts of local governments, special districts, and other jurisdictions already engaged in the management of parks and recreation facilities. The park district is the first of its kind in Illinois, serving over half a million residents.
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