BUSHNELL, Ill. (WGEM) – Water and sewer infrastructure upgrades are coming to one of the oldest parts of Bushnell. This month, the city received a State Community Development Block Grant worth just under $1.5 million.
Mayor Robin Wilt said most of the work will happen near the 900 block of Washington Street, where some of the original bricks from the late 1800′s still make up the road.
”We applied for the grant three years ago and didn’t receive it because of some technical issues. We had to wait a year and apply again, so it’s been shelf ready to go and we’re excited to get it started,” Wilt said.
Wilt said some residents in that area often face basement flooding due to deteriorating water and sewer lines that have roots growing through them. When the work is complete, certain portions of the road surface will be replaced with pavement rather than bricks.
While it’s not a matching grant, the city will have to contribute a certain amount, which Wilt isn’t exactly sure the amount of.
She hopes for work to start towards the beginning of the fall and with completion before winter sets in. This month, a total of $41 million was dedicated to 32 cities in Illinois. Preference was given to projects located in underserved areas, opportunity zones, and those which proposed a non-state matching component to drive the maximum investment to the area.
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