ST LOUIS MO (stlouismo.com) — Governor Matt Blunt today announced that the city of Maryville has been approved for a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED). The grant will be utilized to purchase and renovate a facility to house the operations for the Children and Family Center.
“I am pleased we are able to help the Maryville community with this important effort to enhance its quality of life,” Governor Matt Blunt said. “We continue to actively assist Maryville and other DREAM communities that are working diligently to build on their strengths and seek new opportunities to revitalize their downtown business centers to create and retain jobs.”
The proposed project will allow the Children and Family Center, a not-for-profit abused children and battered spouse shelter, the opportunity to purchase a new facility. The current facility is located in a century-old farmhouse and is in poor condition. It is also inadequate in terms of living and storage space; has issues of privacy for clients of the shelter; and is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The new facility, which is less than three years old, has significantly more living and storage space and is ADA compliant.
Since Governor Matt Blunt announced the first 10 DREAM communities in 2006, they have received more than $225 million in total investment for housing, construction and renovation projects and infrastructure improvements. Public investment in the communities to date totals $38 million, less than a fourth of the total private investments. Public funding secured through the governor’s initiative has created an unprecedented $189 million in private investment to benefit the 10 communities.
Governor Matt Blunt launched the DREAM to help small and mid-sized St Louis MO communities navigate through the various downtown revitalization, business development and residential resources available through state government to further help those communities with downtown revitalization and job creation efforts. The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) is the lead agency in the effort and works closely with the Missouri Housing Development Commission and the Missouri Development Finance Board to provide close assistance to the selected communities.
Aurora, Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Chillicothe, Clinton, Excelsior Springs, Hannibal, Hermann, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Neosho, Poplar Bluff, St. Joseph, Sedalia, Sikeston, Trenton, Washington, and West Plains are DREAM communities.
Governor Blunt has made strengthening St Louis Missouri’s economy a top priority. In his first year in office he lead the successful efforts to enact real lawsuit and workers’ compensation reforms that, combined with new economic programs like his Quality Jobs Act, have helped employers and entrepreneurs create over 80,000 new jobs since January 2005.