Underwood Announces $17 Million for Local Priorities Selected for Community Project Funding
JOLIET – Today, Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced the projects in the 14th District selected to be submitted for consideration for Community Project Funding in FY2024.
Once funded, the projects below will have extraordinary benefits for the community: ensuring access to safe and reliable drinking water, increasing access to child care, strengthening emergency response, helping community organizations serve more families, and creating additional academic and career opportunities for students in northern Illinois.
“I have always made it a priority to bring the voices of the 14th District to Congress, and I’m working hard to make sure that our community's needs are reflected in federal funding bills,” said Underwood. “From addressing health care access in Ottawa and Peru to investing in semiconductor research, these projects will directly benefit families in northern Illinois, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring these federal dollars home.”
Community Project Funding is an initiative that allows Members of Congress to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent, coupled with strict transparency and ethics requirements. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Underwood has certified that she and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects selected. Underwood’s certification forms for the projects listed are available here, listed in alphabetical order.
Below are descriptions of the projects submitted for consideration, in alphabetical order by project sponsor:
Project Title: Reaching New Heights: Improving Accessibility, Mental Health Resources and Educational Offerings
Project Sponsor: Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry
Amount Requested: $650,000
Address of Sponsor: 1110 Jericho Rd, Aurora, IL 60506
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to renovate and upgrade the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry’s facility, allowing the pantry to expand their operations and improve accessibility to their services. The renovations would include the installation of an elevator to the second floor of the pantry; accessibility improvements throughout the facility; purchase and installation of outdoor LED signage; buildout of the second floor to include a meeting room, computer lab, and clothes closet; purchase of a commercial washer/dryer; and improvements to the kitchen. This project will allow the Food Pantry to serve more families and help them better address the root causes of food insecurity, poverty, and unemployment in our community.
Project Title: City of Crest Hill Corrosion Control Treatment Study
Project Sponsor: City of Crest Hill
Amount Requested: $200,000
Address of Sponsor: 1610 Plainfield Rd, Crest Hill, IL 60403
Project Purpose and Justification: As Crest Hill prepares to transition to a new drinking water source, this project would fund a study to examine how the new water source interacts with the town’s existing water pipes, looking specifically at levels of copper and lead. Crest Hill is part of the Grand Prairie Water Commission, a group of six communities in northern Illinois that will be utilizing Lake Michigan as an alternative water source. This study is an important step in the transition that will ensure the community continues to have access to safe and clean water.
Project Title: New High Producing Water Well
Project Sponsor: City of La Salle
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Address of Sponsor: 745 2nd St, La Salle, IL 61301
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to construct a new water well outside of the floodplain, near La Salle’s water treatment plan, allowing for accessibility during an emergency or flood. La Salle currently has five operating wells, all located near the Illinois River in a FEMA-established floodplain. The existing wells are not accessible during periods of flooding, which prevents necessary maintenance and water quality testing and poses major risks if one of the larger producing wells fails. This new well will draw water from a different source and diversify the water supply, strengthening and protecting residents’ access to safe and reliable water.
Project Title: North Fire & Ambulance Station
Project Sponsor: City of Ottawa
Amount Requested: $1,554,000
Address of Sponsor: 301 W Madison St, Ottawa, IL 61350
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to construct a new Fire and Ambulance Station in northern Ottawa, where residents and businesses are experiencing slow emergency response times – a concern raised by first responders after the sudden closure of St. Margaret’s Health - Peru hospital. This additional fire station is needed for the city to improve emergency response times, better protect and care for their residents, and allow the area’s growing economic development to continue safely.
Project Title: Joliet Youth Innovation Center, Inspiring Curiosity and Expanding Child Care Access
Project Sponsor: Greater Joliet Area YMCA
Amount Requested: $850,000
Address of Sponsor: 749 Houbolt Road, Joliet, IL 60431
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would establish the Joliet Salvation Army – YMCA Youth Innovation Center by renovating 4,000 square feet of youth classrooms at the Joliet Salvation Army Corps Center. The Center would host after school child care, summer day camp, and STEAM enrichment programming. The Joliet Salvation Army Corps Center has temporarily hosted YMCA programs in the past, but these facility improvements would make this a permanent offering. The project will include repair or replacing HVAC systems, repairing and resealing the parking lot, classroom renovations, security system upgrades, and the purchase of fixtures, furniture, and equipment.
Project Title: Supportive Services for Sexual Assault Victims
Project Sponsor: Guardian Angel Community Services
Amount Requested: $477,376
Address of Sponsor: 168 North Ottawa Street; Joliet, IL 60432
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would employ six full-time staff members and be used to purchase office equipment and supplies at Guardian Angel Community Service’s primary Sexual Assault Service Center and two satellite locations. The funding would also help the Center maintain its 24-hour hotline for survivors of sexual assault. The project will ensure they can continue providing critical services – including counseling, medical and legal advocacy, case management, a 24-hour hotline, and educational and informational services – to survivors of sexual violence and their non-offending significant others. The project will also strengthen partnerships with local schools, the Will County Adult Detention Facility, and the River Valley Juvenile Justice Center to provide programming on age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention.
Project Title: Hinckley Public Library Renovation
Project Sponsor: Hinckley Public Library District
Amount Requested: $1,064,000
Address of Sponsor: 100 Maple St, Hinckley IL 60520
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to complete the second phase of the rehabilitation and renovation of the new home of the Hinckley Public Library: a 6,000-square-foot building in the heart of downtown Hinckley. The current location lacks dedicated spaces for patrons and staff and has accessibility issues for patrons with mobility challenges. The future home of the library needs comprehensive renovations to clean up asbestos and mold and ensure it is accessible for all patrons. Once completed, the renovated library will have dedicated youth and teen areas, meeting spaces for local business owners, public computers and study rooms, programming to serve the community, and be fully accessible. Rep. Underwood secured $750,000 in fiscal year 2023 Community Project Funding for its first phase.
Project Title: Training Activity Operations Apron at Lewis University Airport (LOT) Chicago-Romeoville
Project Sponsor: Joliet Regional Port District
Amount Requested: $1,552,500
Address of Sponsor: #1 Executive Terminal, George J. Michas Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to expand the aircraft staging and apron pavement area for the growing pilot flight training schools at Lewis University Airport Chicago-Romeville (LOT). LOT has historically served as the South Chicago Metro area's main flight training base. With additional space, training activities will be able to operate more safely and efficiently, eliminate wasted operating fuel, and serve more student pilots. By increasing the number of training spots available, this project will help address our nation's pilot shortage.
Project Title: Kendall County Food Pantry Infrastructure Improvement
Project Sponsor: Kendall County Community Food Pantry
Amount Requested: $763,500
Address of Sponsor: 208 Beaver St, Yorkville, IL 60560
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to rehabilitate the Kendall County Community Food Pantry facility by making accessibility and energy efficiency improvements. The pantry’s flooring is currently an uneven surface made up of unsealed concrete that is difficult to walk on and poses a potential hazard, especially for those with mobility challenges. In addition to resurfacing the flooring, this project includes the installation of emergency pathway lighting and handicap entry doors. The project will boost energy efficiency through re-fixturing and installation of LED lighting, converting the facility to solar energy, and reducing air infiltration.
Project Title: Advancing Research in Next-Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing
Project Sponsor: Lewis University
Amount Requested: $950,000
Address of Sponsor: One University Parkway, Romeoville, IL 60446
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to support innovation in semiconductor manufacturing through research at a state-of-the-art semiconductor innovation and workforce development center at Lewis University. The project would offer Lewis students, scientists, and engineers opportunities to collaborate with semiconductor manufacturers to improve production processes and meet workforce needs in the industry. These innovations will help advance cutting-edge technologies in Illinois and boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing to protect American economic and national security.
Project Title: Pace Electric Bus - Plainfield, IL
Project Sponsor: Pace Bus - Heritage Division
Amount Requested: $1,280,000
Address of Sponsor: 550 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used by Pace Suburban Bus to purchase an electric bus for their fleet for use in their I-55 express bus service. The new electric bus would serve passengers boarding in Plainfield and other southwest suburbs as they travel to downtown Chicago. Pace Suburban Bus is the only transit option for much of the Chicago suburbs and exurbs, serving tens of thousands of riders including seniors, those with disabilities, and veterans receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The project will strengthen Illinois’ suburban transit system and help reduce health risks associated with air pollution.
Project Title: Building New Beginnings Emergency Shelter for Victims of Violence in DeKalb County, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Safe Passage, Inc.
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
Address of Sponsor: PO Box 621, DeKalb, IL 60115
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used to construct a 24/7 emergency shelter for Safe Passage, an organization that serves survivors of domestic, sexual, and dating violence, as well as stalking and human trafficking. Over the past three years, the limited space in Safe Passage’s current facility has forced the organization to turn away hundreds of adults and children. The project will increase privacy and safety for survivors in the shelter; provide space for legal and medical advocacy, counseling, and case management services; expand capacity for support services offered to the children of domestic violence survivors, and improve ADA accessibility. This project will allow Safe Passage to serve more DeKalb County-area survivors of violence and community members in need of emergency shelter and services.
Project Title: Lockport, Illinois
Project Sponsor: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District
Amount Requested: $1,875,000
Address of Sponsor: 231 S. LaSalle St. Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60604
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used for an environmental infrastructure project, authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. This project would provide technical planning, design, and construction assistance to improve wastewater management, including stormwater management in Lockport. Lockport and the broader Will County region have significant wastewater and water supply treatment, distribution, and infrastructure needs that will be met with funding from this project. This project would meet these needs in Lockport and beyond, with a particular focus on underserved children — through the Bruce Road & SOS Children’s Village Utility Improvement Project — in the Will County community; create fewer wastewater service interruptions; and improve water quality for years to come.
Project Title: Elevated Water Tank Rehabilitation
Project Sponsor: Village of Newark
Amount Requested: $369,000
Address of Sponsor: PO Box 270, 101 W Lions St, Newark, IL 60541
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would be used for a full rehabilitation and re-painting of Newark’s existing 50,000-gallon elevated water storage tank, including lead paint removal containment and disposal. This project would protect Newark residents and businesses from lead exposure and ensure they have access to a safe and reliable water supply.
Project Title: Village of Romeoville Spangler Sanitary Lift Station Replacement
Project Sponsor: Village of Romeoville
Amount Requested: $1,580,000
Address of Sponsor: 1050 W. Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL 60446
Project Purpose and Justification: This funding would help Romeoville replace their sanitary lift station, an essential part of their wastewater system. The existing 60-year-old lift station has severely corroded, causing wastewater to occasionally back up into homes and businesses. This project addresses the health and environmental hazards of wastewater exposure for nearly 10,000 residents who are served by the lift station, businesses in the downtown area, and patrons of public facilities including recreational facilities, schools, and a library.
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