Mansfield Main Street improvement project in line for $2 million in federal funding

MANSFIELD — A planned Main Street Corridor Improvement Plan in Mansfield could receive $2 million in federal infrastructure improvement funds, according to U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson.

The Republican from Zanesville updated local officials about the legislative effort on Thursday during a visit to Downtown Mansfield, Inc., a stop that included a quick walking tour of a section of Main Street scheduled for revitalization.

Balderson said the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved the project as part of a larger package, which has now moved into the Senate.

The second-term congressman said a final decision is expected by September. The project is in keeping with the goals expressed in the 2019 Mansfield Rising Downtown Reinvestment Plan.

“We’re keeping a close eye on it. We’re watching it every single day. We’re going to keep praying and hopefully in September we have answers and we have a great infrastructure bill and we can deal with roads (and) bridges projects,” Balderson said.

The $8.5 million local project, which is in the midst of a two-year engineering and design phase for work from First Street to Fifth Street, would receive federal funds through the surface transportation authorization. It’s funded directly from the Highway Trust Fund and does not require a separate or subsequent appropriation, according to the congressman’s website.

It’s one of only six projects in Balderson’s 12th District for which he sought funding.

He met with a group that included Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker, Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development President & CEO Jodie Perry, Richland County Commissioner Tony Vero, Mansfield city engineer Bob Bianchi, Richland County Regional Planning Executive Director Jotika Shetty and DMI CEO Jennifer Kime.

Balderson funding request letter

Balderson told the group his office received about 30 such “Community Project” funding requests from around the district.

“It was hard (to limit to six), but we knew that was the right thing to do,” Balderson said. “We take these requests very seriously. I learned a lot during my time in the state legislature.”

Perry said the $2 million in federal funds for the project would be “huge.”

“There hasn’t been enough money and focus on (local infrastructure),” she said. “From an economic development standpoint, from our community development standpoint, we’re in an aging community and (federal money would) allow us to also look at other projects we’ve been talking about.”

The ongoing design/engineering effort, approved by Mansfield City Council, is estimated to cost just over $1 million, 90 percent of which will be paid for with federal grant dollars through the Regional Planning office. The remaining 10 percent, or about $100,500, will be paid by the city using permissive sales tax funds.

“This project would rebuild Main Street,” Bianchi told Balderson on Thursday. “Main Street is central to our downtown. What we (seek) would be to completely reinvent and reimagine the corridor.”

In the past, Bianchi has said the project would make Main Street pedestrian friendly, adding placemaking features, new lighting fixtures, new sidewalks and brick crosswalks.

There is also the possibility the street could be converted to two-way traffic in the same way Mulberry and Diamond streets have been converted in recent years.

When the engineering work is done, the construction project itself, if approved by council, would cost about $7.5 million with federal and state grants hopefully covering about 75 percent of the costs. He said the city would also seek funds from the Richland County Foundation for “some of the more decorative” portions of the project.

The $2 million in infrastructure funds, if approved by Congress, would reduce the $4.6 million planned to come from the local Regional Planning office, which would free up those dollars for future local projects, Bianchi said.

“That’s the plan,” he added.

Earlier this year, Bianchi said the city’s portion, about $1.8 million, would not use any general fund revenue, Bianchi said. The engineer said it would come from $395,000 in permissive sales tax, $184,000 in the city’s street resurfacing fund, $235,000 from the Downtown Improvement Fund, $311,000 from the city’s sewer fund and $754,000 from the water fund.

DMI CEO Jennifer Kime has said the effort to replace the nearly 40-year old streetscape would spur visitation to the downtown, promote business growth and increase economic investment in the area while also honoring the city’s long history.

“One of the things we have heard time and time again from residents, businesses, stakeholders and others is the need to improve the arteries going into the downtown, especially Main Street,” Kime told council in January. “We have looked at the current conditions, discussed what we wanted to see and (examined) what was possible.”