The City of Rifle has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant for completion of the City of Rifle Downtown Street Improvements Project. This project involves the replacement of streets, sidewalks, landscaping and outdoor dining areas along Railroad Avenue and Third Street downtown. The design was created through an extensive public process in the fall of 2019. The total project cost is approximately five million dollars and may be constructed in multiple phases.
The money comes from the state Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance fund distributed through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). These revenues are derived from oil, gas, carbon dioxide, coal and metals extracted in Colorado. Competition for these funds is intense according to Rick Garcia, DOLA Executive Director.
In a letter to City of Rifle Mayor Barbara Clifton, Garcia stated that “projects are reviewed based on a variety of factors such as its connection to energy impact, degree of need, measurable outcomes, amount of request, relationship to community goals, level of local match and community support, management capacity and readiness to go.”
Nathan Lindquist, City of Rifle Planning Director and Assistant City Manager, explained that the DOLA grant will be going to the Railroad Avenue part of the project focusing on the area from Third Street to Fifth Street. He further added that the City is pursuing other grants and funding sources to expand Phase 1 of construction as far as possible.
Lindquist was excited to learn that Rifle would be receiving the money. “Thank you to the many staff, contractors, Council members, DDA members, businesses and citizens who worked very hard to get this grant. This is a huge step towards constructing the downtown project in 2021!”
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Media Contact: Nathan Lindquist, 970-665-6499