The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted last Tuesday to award more than $229 million in grants for about 20 public facility and infrastructure projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County.
The projects will be undertaken by Lee County, each municipality, the school district, the Lee County Electric Cooperative and nonprofit entities associated with governmental sponsors.
Projects awarded grant funding were unanimously recommended by the Public Facilities and Critical Infrastructure Evaluation Committee:
– Community Recreation Center and Disaster Shelter – Cape Coral
– Weir Rehabilitation Upgrade or Replacement Project – Cape Coral
– Cape Coral EMS Base/Safe Room – Lee County
– Pine Island Fire Station 2 – Lee County
– North Island Water Tower and Facility Project – Fort Myers Beach
– Salvation Army Center for Hope Campus – City of Fort Myers
– FISH of SANCAP Building Elevation, Hardening, and Associated Site Improvements – Sanibel
– Resilient Communications Towers – Lee County
– Parks & Recreation Revitalization – Fort Myers Beach
– S.T.A.R.S Expansion and Category 3 Hurricane Shelter – City of Fort Myers
– Wellfield Expansion – City of Fort Myers
– LCEC Cherry Estates – Lee County
– Sanibel Fire Station 171 Reconstruction – Sanibel
– Ragsdale/Pennsylvania/Arroyal Corridor Street Improvements – Bonita Springs
– Moss Marina Booster Pump Station Relocation LCU – Fort Myers Beach
– Road Reconstruction – Sanibel
– Broadway Avenue West Improvements – Estero
– County-wide Drainage Improvements – Lee County
– Satellite Shop replacement and underground fuel tank replacement – Lee County
– Shelter Hardening and Generator Installation – Lee County School District
The list of funded projects will be posted on the county’s website at https://cdbgdr.leegov.com.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022. In early 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the $1.1 billion allocation of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funds to support Lee County’s long-term recovery efforts.
CDBG-DR funds may be spent on a limited number of eligible activities related to impacts from Hurricane Ian that include housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, public services and planning. At least 70% of the grant must be used for projects that benefit Low-to-Moderate Income households, which HUD defines as a family at or below 80% of Area Median Income.
Source: Lee County Government