ERIE COUNTY, NY— Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has announced the selection of nine municipal projects for inclusion in the Erie County Consortium 2015 Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) application. The application, which will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval, recommends a total Erie County expenditure of $1,156,487 for the nine projects, an investment that will leverage $1,973,091 in local funds and in-kind resources.

“Community Development Block Grant awards are meant to spur communities into investing in projects that improve their infrastructure and also enhance their quality of life. These grants provide funding that is essential to getting these projects done, and when leveraged with other funding secured by the municipalities involved, provide the impetus for improvements all around Erie County,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “As I said in my ‘Initiatives for a Smart Economy’ address, CDBG funds serve a critical role in revitalizing our area, and I look forward to the completion of the projects included in the 2015 application.”

The Erie County Consortium consists of 34 municipalities, generally located outside of the City of Buffalo and the first-ring suburbs. The selected projects are targeted toward public infrastructure and building improvements which primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents. The 2015 selected projects include:

• Town of Orchard Park, Burmon Drive Road Reconstruction: $100,000
• Town of Boston, Boston Cross Road Storm Drainage Improvements: $100,000
• City of Tonawanda, Hackett Street Sanitary Sewer Relining: $100,000
• Village of Lancaster, Brady Avenue Sanitary Sewer Relining: $100,000
• City of Lackawanna; Wilson, Olcott and Kane Streets Road Infrastructure Improvements: $100,000
• Town of West Seneca; Westcliff, Woodlane and Chamberlin Drive Road Reconstruction: $100,000
• Village of Alden, Elm Street Waterline Replacement: $100,000
• Town of Aurora/Village of East Aurora, Senior Center Improvements: $86,487
• Village of Akron, Hoag Avenue Waterline Replacement: $100,000
• Various Communities, Rural Transit Services: $270,000

The selected projects were recommended for funding by a 14-member Selection Committee that includes 11 Supervisors and Mayors from Consortium communities along with three members of the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning. The Committee reviewed a total of 30 projects seeking $2,711,184 in federal assistance.

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning, visit http://www2.erie.gov/environment/