City takes another step forward on Illinois Street project
By Steve Van Kooten
The Prairie du Chien Common Council accepted a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant award for the impending Illinois Street project during their Aug. 19 meeting.
“This is an extension of the grant for the reconstruction of Illinois Street,” said Matt Muchow, a project manager with Vierbicher Associates. “We submitted the grant application this spring, and you became eligible for it because of the LMI [low-to-middle income] survey you did last year.”
The City was made aware of the award, which totals $1 million, on Aug. 4. The overall cost for the project is estimated to be $1.9 million.
According to Muchow, the City has to accept the award and return information to the Department of Administration for approval. City staff and Vierbicher personnel will then attend training regarding the use of the funds in September.
The CDBG program’s purpose is to assist low-to-middle-income residents with housing and structural development in their communities. Funding comes from the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The City of Prairie du Chien as a whole does not qualify to use the CDBG program; however, the residents in the Illinois Street area meet the LMI requirements.
The City is pursuing additional funding through Safe Drinking Water Loans through the WDNR and Clean Water funding.
Vierbicher assisted in applying for the SDW loan this past June. Muchow said the WDNR will release information on funding in September.
“Once that pre-application packet is submitted and the training is completed, we would anticipate the grant contract from the DOA, which requires some board action to approve the contract. That would likely come in October,” said Andy Kurtz, Vierbicher’s planning and community development manager.
The city originally approved the project in 2023 and plans to start work next spring.
According to Vierbicher, Illinois Street has “significant infrastructural issues that need to be addressed.”
The project’s scope of work includes improvements to the sewer system, replacing water lines — particularly those running under the nearby train tracks — and removing lead components from the water system.
Once the project is ready to move forward, the City plans to hold public information meetings for the community.
In attendance were Vicki Waller, Bob Granzow, Nate Bremmer, Jaaren Riebe, Mark Bowar, Kayla Ingham and Andy Ringgold. Nick Crary was absent. City Administrator Chad Abram, City Planner Nate Gilberts and Police Chief Kyle Teynor were also present.
Other business
• Abram said that Pizza Ranch is currently eyeing an early November soft opening.
