Infrastructure a priority in Charleston’s recommendations for $36.8 million in federal funding

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It is not too often that city governments have nearly $40 million to spend.

That is why the city of Charleston has been working since the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was put into place in March 2021 to find the best ways to use the federal dollars.

Mayor Amy Goodwin unveiled their recommendations for the money’s use in a presentation to the ARP Committee.

Wednesday, the ARP Committee will review those recommendations and then present their own at the following City Council meeting on Feb. 22.

Goodwin said a good portion of the funding will be used to improve the infrastructure with about $15 million.

“Number one and most important right now is infrastructure -- our roads, our sidewalks, taking care of and maintaining our bridges,” Goodwin said.

Other projects include more street lights, citywide paving and athletic field turfing.

“Number two, investing in our city’s future, you are going to see turfing six different baseball fields and soccer fields and football fields,” Goodwin said.

According to the mayor, $1.5 million has been set aside to tear down dilapidated buildings and repurpose the land through the Charleston Land Reuse Agency.

About $5 million will go toward future community projects.

Goodwin said there will be even more money for those projects, thanks to matching grant dollars. A portion of the ARP funding will go toward the city’s ability to match those grants.

“But every single day there are matching grant dollars turfing of the fields. We have already gone after a grant to help with that,” Goodwin said.

These are just some of the recommendations made by Goodwin’s administration to the ARP Committee.

For more information about applications that will receive ARP funding, you can find them on the city’s website here.

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