By JOHN EBY
Dowagiac Daily News

Dowagiac’s proposal for Infrastructure Capacity Enhancements (ICE) was approved Wednesday at the Michigan Strategic Fund Board meeting in Lansing.

“The Michigan Strategic Fund Board is very pleased to continue the reinvestment in our state’s communities infrastructure needs through this program,” said Dawn M. Deppe, administrative assistant, Michigan Economic Development Corp., in congratulating the city.

City Manager Kevin Anderson said Dowagiac applied for improvements to utilities and paving on Uneta (by the nursing home), Solomon (by Patrick Hamilton Elementary School) and Wolf (by the new fire station and Northwest Park soccer fields) streets. Matching funds of $160,000 come from next year’s budget. Several components of this grant are water and sewer utility improvements. Portions of the match will come from improvement reserve funds.

Anderson said a portion of the fire station improvement funding included an allocation for street paving.

These funds will now be used as match for the full street reconstruction.
According to a spreadsheet of 46 projects for Community Development Block Grant ICE, including Gobles and Mattawan in Van Buren County and Benton Charter Township in Berrien County, Dowagiac is to receive $340,000, or 56 percent, with a $160,000 match.

The 46 projects represent $14,145,850 in CDBG funding and total match of $7,448,591.
Vandalia garnered $16,780 with a $4,000 match for street improvements.