The Mount Vernon city council approved applying for a grant for phase 1 of the interurban trail project.
The grant solidifies the city’s commitment to maintaining and operating their portion of the proposed trail and verifying a 25 percent match for the local portion of the project.
The first phase of the trail project will connect Cornell College Campus to Bryant Park.
The resolution approves the City of Mount Vernon committing to the maintenance and operation of the trail improvements for the next 20 years and that local funds for $25,000 will go towards the project costs.
City planner Leigh Bradbury applied for the Iowa Department of Transportation grant for state recreational trail program funds for the 0.17 mile stretch of trail that will connect Bryant Park to the Cornell College Campus. The trail project will create an ADA compliant marked crossing north of the intersection of the three major roadways at the connection of Cornell Campus (Bryant Road, First Street West and 10th Avenue). Proposed cost for the project is $348,089, with the city’s obligation to be $100,000 from Local Option Sales and Service Tax.
Design of the trail is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 28, 2025. Construction could be completed anytime from March through December 2025.