City awarded approximately in CDBG funds

Grant funds awarded for community center design and Main St. beautification

Courtesy City of Fernley

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has awarded the City of Fernley approximately $300,000 in grant funding for two projects.

The City will receive $80,000 for the conceptual design of the future multi-purpose community center, and $218,625 for Main Street beautification efforts. The community center design project will include a strong focus on community outreach and visioning for the future facility. The community outreach portion will include focus groups, public meetings, online surveys, as well as a traffic study in the design process.

On May 17, 2017, the City Council voted unanimously to move forward with the vision for a future community center, following that vote, the City purchased the vacant 8.5 acres surrounding the historic Fernley Depot for the future site of the facility.

The City used only transient lodging tax funds (room tax) to purchase the property. Those funds were specifically earmarked for the sole purpose of a future community/convention center.

The City of Fernley and Lyon County reached an agreement to allow Lyon County to build their new 16,000 square foot senior center and human services facility at this site as well as the future community center, with a goal of offering cradle to grave services for Fernley residents all in one location.

In addition, the City is working closely with a key group of stakeholders who have pledged their support for this facility, this group includes: the Fernley Community Foundation, Lyon County School District, Western Nevada College, Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, and Lyon County.

The City was also awarded $218,625 for Main Street beautification efforts, which is the third phase of the Downtown Fernley Revitalization project.

The scope of work for this project will include the purchase and installation of streetscape elements including the following: 16 benches, 6 bicycle racks, 16 trash receptacles, 32 above ground planters, downtown entry signage, a city clock, and public art.

The streetscape furniture style pieces to be installed were identified and voted on as favorable by residents who participated in the public meetings that were held during phase one of the project in 2014.

The project area is a 4-block section on Main Street in Fernley, beginning in the west at N. West Street, ending in the east at Silver Lace Boulevard.

The State of Nevada received an allocation of approximately $2.6 million for the CDBG program in 2018/2019. More than 30 applications were submitted to CDBG, representing 26 eligible rural communities throughout Nevada; only nine applications were selected to present at the Advisory Committee Meeting.

The City of Fernley submitted applications for both projects in January of 2018, both passed the eligibility phase and were asked to present at the CDBG Advisory Committee Meeting on May 30, 2018.

Including these most recent grant awards, the City of Fernley has received more than $2.2 million in grant funds from the Nevada CDBG program since 2002.

For questions relating to these grant awards/projects, please contact Colleen Unterbrink, Assistant to the City Manager at (775) 784-9851 or e-mail [email protected].