KBIA Local
(2007-09-05)
COLUMBIA, MO
(KBIA) -
Missouri Governor has named the cities of Kirksville and Mexico as recipients of grants from the DREAM initiative.DREAM stands for Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance for Missouri and secures funds for communities to restore their downtown areas.
Cities with DREAM designations qualify for top priority on infrastructure improvements and various community aid programs.
Kirksville Assistant City Manager Kris McKim has high hopes of what the funding might mean to downtown Kirksville.
"What we'd really like to be able to do is to give some assistance to the property owners in the downtown. A lot of them would like to fix up the facades of the buildings, restore them to the historic look and do some things like that."
In Mexico, Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Sue Caine says she helped encouraged city officials to apply for the DREAM initiative.
Caine says Mexico's downtown area has not been updated in a number of years and is in need of help from the state.
"Were really looking for the expertise that goes along with this program. To have people come in and survey our downtown. It's for downtown revitalization."
Caine says the city will be closely involved in every aspect of the revitalization process.
Only ten DREAM cities are named each year. © Copyright 2012, KBIA
