East St. Louis has received a $900,000 Rebuild Distressed Communities (RDC) grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Mayor Robert Eastern III said the grant will help boost economic vitality along the commercial corridor of State Street by installing security cameras and enhanced lighting.
“A model of excellence in local government: a safe place, a thriving community, which is intergenerational, that provides hope and success,”
“East St. Louis is excited to utilize the funding provided by this program to repaint the narrative of our community,” Eastern said.
“This resource will be used to expand our efforts to enhance lighting along city streets and to provide new security cameras on one of the city’s busiest and most vibrant corridors, the State Street business district.”
Launched last year by the State of Illinois “to help businesses and communities recover from civil unrest and economic setbacks because of the pandemic,” the RDC economic recovery program also targets grants to help small businesses. East St. Louis was among the second-round grantees for the program’s corridor improvement project.
“The Rebuild Distressed Communities program is another way for our state to recover, heal, and grow together,” said Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton in a release.
“The administration is committed to economic development that uplifts all of us and putting our state’s small businesses and vulnerable communities at the forefront through this funding is how we expand equity and opportunity across Illinois.”
Gov. JB Pritzker said the program “is delivering $8.4 million in direct grants to over two dozen small businesses and multiple regional economic corridors to build on the impact of our $250 million Back to Business program with an equitable lens.”
Applications for corridor projects were reviewed and evaluated according to the extent of property damage due to civil unrest, with program priorities being projects that were in distressed communities, had geographic diversity around the state, and an investment impact that will build resiliency and revitalize the business corridor.
To qualify for funds, project proposals were required to demonstrate the project would occur within the same block that experienced property damage or on contiguous blocks if required for project continuity.
“East St. Louis shall be a model of excellence in local government: a safe place, a thriving community, which is intergenerational, that provides hope and success for all,” said Eastern.
