Big Grant Going To St. Joseph For Upton Drive Work

stjoecityhall1-32
stjoecityhall1-32

The city of St. Joseph is receiving a nearly $1 million state grant for street work associated with upgrades taking place at the Whirlpool Laundry and Dishwasher Technical Center. The $992,000 comes from the state’s Transportation Economic Development Fund and the St. Joseph project is one of just two receiving grants in this round. Cornerstone Alliance President Rob Cleveland tells WSJM News it’s a big deal the community was selected.

“These Transportation Economic Development Fund grants are highly competitive, and to be awarded one of only two in the entire state, with the other one going to the east side, is really a feather in the community’s cap,” Cleveland said.

Whirlpool is doing $50 million in work at the tech center in St. Joseph, and Upton Drive serves as a major road for employees. Cleveland says it takes many organizations coming together to make a grant like this possible.

“It really is about collaboration with the city of St. Joseph. There’s going to be a lot of infrastructure work done over there in conjunction with Whirlpool to improve the infrastructure for the residents in that area.”

The city of St. Joseph will reconstruct Upton Drive from Momany Drive south to the Cul de Sac. The total cost is about $4.8 million, with the city covering the rest through a combination of local funds and an EDA grant.