Rockford, Loves Park have many options for stimulus money

By Thomas V. Bona

BusinessRockford.com

Local leaders have more than enough roads on which to spend federal stimulus package money.

And to make sure they don’t lose millions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Rockford and Loves Park officials have backup plans in case their top projects aren’t “shovel ready” in time.

For Rockford, the biggest priority is repairing the crumbling concrete at the Whitman Street interchange. But because the $2 million project is so big, it has to get federal permits.

By the end of this summer, city officials will know whether they’ll meet the ARRA deadline. The project must be started by next summer. However, even if they miss the deadline, they have several other city road-resurfacing projects ready to go.

“That speaks to the sizable needs that we have,” said Pat Zuroske, the city’s capital program manager.

The Whitman Street project will happen with or without stimulus funds, he said, but it might finish in 2011 instead of 2010.

The city might also see delays on its plan to resurface West Riverside Boulevard between North Main Street and the Rock River this year because of a technicality in the federal approval process. Again, if it can’t start that project in time, other projects stand ready this year.

Loves Park officials have a backup in place in case the plan for repaving Orth Road between Argyle and Olsen roads falls apart. Stimulus rules require a project to be more than 50 percent federally funded, but the Orth Road project could cost more than early estimates, sending that percentage lower, said Dan Jacobson, community development and publics works director.

If that’s the case, the city will apply for Orth Road funding through the Federal Economic Development Administration, hoping for a 2010 start, and rely on its backup projects to use the stimulus money.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act imposes strict deadlines to make sure construction crews are back to work this year and next.

The ARRA requires projects be more than half federally funded so the stimulus money isn’t simply replacing already allocated state and local money.

Staff writer Thomas V. Bona may be contacted at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com.

Plan A, Plan B for stimulus money
Rockford
Plan A:
* Whitman Street interchange
* Riverside Boulevard between North Main Street and the Rock River.
* Alpine Road between Guilford Road and Rural Street.
* Rockton Avenue between Auburn and Fulton streets.
* Morgan Street between South Main and Winnebago streets.

Plan B:
* Alpine Road between Guilford Road and Rural Street.
* Rockton Avenue between Auburn and Fulton streets.
* Morgan Street between South Main and Winnebago streets.
* West State Street between Kilburn Avenue and Church Street.
* Winnebago Street between Jefferson and Chestnut streets.
* 15th Avenue between Kishwaukee and Ninth streets.
* Central Avenue between Montague and Cunningham streets,
* Sandy Hollow Road between 20th and 11th streets.

Loves Park
Plan A:
* Orth Road between Argyle and Olsen roads.
* Machesney Road between North Second Street and Victory Lane.

Plan B:
* Machesney Road between Illinois 251 and Victory Lane.
* Riverside Boulevard between North Second Street and the Rock River.
* Windsor Road between Alpine and Forest Hills roads.

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