FRANKFORT, Ky. — Federal funding for the City of Maysville will be celebrated at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at the courthouse square. Local and state elected officials will gather to celebrate funding and grant awards benefiting the Cummins Mountain Bike Path, the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club Walking and Fitness Trail, and the Frontier Housing Corporation.
“I’m grateful for organizations like the Frontier House Corporation and the people who are on the ground in Mason County and beyond making a positive difference for our communities,” Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, said. “I want to thank everyone with Frontier and local leaders who’ve invested time and energy to secure these funding awards. I trust they will be maximized to their full potential.”
Frontier Housing will receive nearly $2 million in brownfield cleanup grants. Funding will support the cleaning and remediation of known contaminants in the former Hayswood Hospital building, which includes PCBs, lead-based paints, ACM, and mercury.
According to the organization’s website, Frontier Housing Corp. was created as a resource for Eastern Kentuckians needing housing opportunities. It is currently the leader in affordable housing solutions, comprised of a team of experts passionate about building communities. Visit frontierky.org for more details on the organization.
Brownfields’ are abandoned, unused or underused properties where redevelopment is hindered due to known or suspected contamination, anything from a former industrial site to an empty building with asbestos, lead, and other hazardous materials.
Although brownfields are often considered problem properties, they can be redeveloped and turned into opportunities to clean up the environment, boost the local economy, and build a stronger community. To help facilitate the redevelopment of these properties, the state’s brownfield program provides a full spectrum of resources and services to local officials, nonprofit groups, property owners, private developers, and other stakeholders. These services not only help overcome redevelopment barriers, but they also help ensure environmental justice for underserved communities.
To promote brownfield redevelopment, assistance—such as the nearly $2 million awarded to Frontier Housing Corporation— is available through grants, loans, no-cost services, and provisions that address liability and cleanup. Kentucky’s brownfield program partners with federal, state, and local governments to provide these opportunities and facilitate the reuse of brownfield properties across the state. Financial assistance (state and federal funds) is offered primarily to qualifying local governments, quasi-government agencies, and nonprofit (501c3) organizations. Tax credits and other financial incentives are also available for public and private entities seeking to redevelop brownfields. A summary of funding opportunities and financial incentives is provided below.
Meanwhile, the City of Maysville was awarded $75,000 for the Cummins Mountain Bike Path. This project will construct a half-mile loop path on the top of the Cummins Nature Preserve property. A second trail will be constructed near the entrance for those that do not want the physical challenges of a mountain bike trail. A six-foot-tall wood plank fence will be installed for the safety of the riders.
The city is also awarded over $60,000 for the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club Walking and Fitness Trail. In a collaboration with the city, the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club has proposed constructing a 0.91-mile trail around the perimeter of the club’s property.
LWCF funding is administered by the Department for Local Government following federal review and approval of applications by the National Park Service. LWCF provides federal grant funds to protect important natural areas, acquire land for outdoor recreation and develop or renovate public outdoor recreation facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, sports, and playfields, swimming facilities, boating facilities, fishing facilities, trails, natural areas, and passive parks.
