Ottawa receives $75,000 state grant for economic recovery

The city of Ottawa will receive $75,000 from the Research in Illinois to Spur Economic (RISE) Recovery Program grant program, Mayor Dan Aussem announced during the City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Aussem said the grant is meant to help the city redevelop the downtown’s residential and short-term residential properties.

“It also allows us to go after a bigger pot of dollars that are only available to people who received the first award,” Aussem said. “We’re in a good spot again.”

Ottawa was one of 42 grant recipients in Illinois that will receive a total of $3.5 million in funding to accelerate local economic recovery initiatives. North Central Illinois Council of Governments, which serves La Salle, Bureau, Marshall, Putnam, Stark, Grundy, Lee, Kendall and DeKalb counties, also received $150,000 for an economic recovery plan for broadband assessment and design and the village of Flanagan received $58,868 for an economic recovery plan focused on population, economic opportunities and quality of life.

“Cities, regions, towns and villages across Illinois understand the opportunities and needs of their own communities and the RISE program empowers them to collaborate and plan for improvements,” said Gov. JB Pritzker in a press release. “These grants will help communities craft economic development plans that reflect the specific impact of the pandemic on their region, with the opportunity to apply for funding to put the plans into action in the future.”

Aussem said he’ll have more information on what Ottawa plans to do with its portion of the grant money by the Tuesday, Sept. 20, City Council meeting.

RISE empowers local governments and regional entities to create meaningful plans that align with the state’s overarching economic plan, with a focus on specific initiatives and investments that support recovery from the pandemic. From plans to reactivate commercial corridors, build more affordable housing, or make investments that improve quality of life the grant recipients are taking a comprehensive approach to economic development, the state said in a Tuesday press release.

The RISE grants will reimburse awardees for costs associated with developing or updating an economic recovery plan, including salaries or contractual costs, research, outreach and public meetings as well as expenses associated with administering the grant, such as meeting space rentals and printing. Applicants that faced financial and capacity constraints or were located in underserved communities were prioritized for an award. After plans are completed, grantees will have the opportunity to apply for grants to fund specific initiatives or investments outlined in their economic plans. To be eligible, applicants were required to provide letters of support from the local municipality or counties impacted by the plan.

The economic development planning efforts, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, include plans focused on revitalizing commercial corridors, improving affordable housing options, supporting local workforces, among other initiatives. The grantees are located in all 10 economic regions of the state and awards range from $25,000 to $150,000, with an average grant award of $82,300.