Community Project Funding

The House Appropriations Committee is accepting Community Project Funding requests for consideration in FY23 appropriations bills. This initiative is coupled with stringent eligibility, ethics and transparency guardrails. Only nonprofit organizations and state, local, tribal and territorial governments are eligible to receive funding through this process. In addition, only projects with evidence of strong support from the community will be considered by the Committee.

Congresswoman Bustos has submitted 15 projects to the Committee for consideration. Please note that a project being submitted does NOT guarantee that a project will receive funding.

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congresswoman Bustos has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects she has requested.

Projects Requested (in alphabetical order by project sponsor):

Project Name: Black Hawk College Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy
Project Sponsor: Black Hawk College
Location: 6600 34th Ave, Moline, IL 61625
Description: Black Hawk College, together with our industry and K-12 partners, seeks to address barriers to education and employment specifically targeting the manufacturing sectors. The profound evolution and dramatic transformation of the manufacturing sector is deeply rooted in the unique combination of market forces (velocity, breadth, and depth), of change, and the shape of our talent pipeline. At the heart of the proposed Manufacturing Training Academy rests the intersection of technology, systems, and people. Demand for a highly skilled manufacturing workforce is expected to grow in our region as well as Illinois, ultimately widening the current skills shortage if strategic and intentional opportunities are not implemented. This project is informed by evidence-based research and practices. As such, Black Hawk College will use a combination of sector-based, accelerated learning, immersive learning, and employer engagement strategies that are supported by evidence-based research that points to their effectiveness. This combined approach will enable Black Hawk College to develop and scale flexible accelerated learning options that leverage innovative and immersive technologies in programs offering credentials that prepare students for high-demand, sustainable-wage careers to meet the objectives of the project.
Requested Amount: $3,300,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Mt. Carroll STEAAM Hub
Project Sponsor: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Location: 633 East Street. Mt. Carroll, IL 61053
Description: The funding would be used for a partnership with West Carroll School District and the University of Illinois Extension to develop a STEAAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Agriculture and Math) hub in Mt. Carroll, IL. The space will include “maker space” with computers, digital and 3-D printers, sewing machines, art supplies and more, for classroom instruction and after school and on weekends. The project will also include renovation and repair of an onsite greenhouse, which will allow horticulture/food production to be part of the educational mix (STEAAM includes agriculture). This project will benefit rural Carroll County youth by providing experience and exposure to STEAAM skills that are increasingly important to the workplace. Maker Spaces combine access to a variety of technology and software tools in an enriching, supportive, creative environment that encourages creativity, entrepreneurism, group problem solving, and interdisciplinary approaches. These create an experiential base for Carroll County youth to support future education and career pathways. The STEAM Hub will be accessible evenings and weekends as well as during the school day
Requested Amount: $ 438,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Lewistown Municipal Water Supply
Project Sponsor: City of Lewistown
Project Location:  119 S. Adams Street, Lewistown, IL 61542
Description: Funding is needed to address municipal water system concerns in Lewistown, IL, including ground tank water storage and plumbing. Lewistown has an aging water system, with water mains and sewer line pipes nearing 150 years old, well exceeding the average service life of 50 years. Water contaminants and deteriorating infrastructure has challenged the City of Lewistown to ensure safe, healthy water is readily available. The municipal water supply has had high levels of manganese and is currently non-compliant with levels set forth in the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act. Ingestion of excess manganese has the potential to cause significant health implications, with children and infants most susceptible. Manganese contributes to the development of bacterium infestations in water systems and clogged plumbing. Clogged plumbing and line breaks are detrimental to a deteriorating water infrastructure that is 100+ years past average life of service.
Requested Amount: $600,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: 61605 Sidewalk Upgrades
Project Sponsor: City of Peoria
Location: 61605 Zip Code/419 Fulton St, Peoria, IL 61602
Description: This project would add sidewalks along residential and commercial streets in the 61605-zip code. Currently the project is in the planning stage to determine the placement and implementation of the sidewalks. The City of Peoria plans to spend $150,000 in 2023 towards sidewalks in the 61605-zip code. This project requires additional federal funding to ensure that the network of sidewalks is a comprehensive and cohesive addition to the transportation network of the Southside of Peoria.

The Economic Investment Group lists the 61605-zip code as one of the most distressed zip codes in the nation with contributing factors such as high poverty, a high unemployment rate and high vacancies. The city continues to make substantial investments in the area to improve infrastructure, but more is needed to improve the lives of the residents in 61605. Investing taxpayer dollars in sidewalks supports walkability, increases vibrancy and accessibility, and builds community connectivity. This kind of investment is particularly important to communities like the Southside of Peoria where many residents rely on a combination of walking and public transit.
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: East Bluff Community Center Capital Improvements
Project Sponsor: East Bluff Community Center
Location: 512 E. Kansas St., Peoria, IL 61603
Description: The funding would be used for three major capital projects within East Bluff Community Center’s overall capital improvement plan: roof replacement, parking lot resurfacing, and single-pane window replacement with energy efficient windows. The East Bluff Community Center is a vibrant place to gather for community services, recreation, learning, and celebration in Peoria’s East Bluff neighborhood. Peoria’s East Bluff neighborhood has experienced major disinvestment in recent years and rising rates of poverty and crime. As many services have left the area, the East Bluff Community Center (EBCC) has been determined to bring in resources and programming to combat what has been lost. East Bluff families deserve to have a high-quality hub that is safe, welcoming, and in good repair. The projects listed in this proposal aim to keep the EBCC in such condition.
Requested Amount: $350,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: The Excel Center Rockford
Project Sponsor: Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Stateline Area, Inc.
Location: 850 N. Church Street, Rockford, IL 61103
Description: Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Stateline Area, Inc. (Goodwill) is applying for funds to open The Excel Center, an innovative school model that provides adults with a rigorous high school experience, the opportunity to access postsecondary credentials and skill-building experiences, and wraparound support services. In the Rockford region, approximately 32,000 adults do not have a high school diploma or GED and this school will be the first of its kind in Illinois.
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Eagle View Community Health Monmouth Clinic
Project Sponsor: Henderson County Rural Health Center, Inc., d.b.a. Eagle View Community Health System
Location: 230 S Main St, Monmouth, IL, 61462
Description: Warren County, Henderson County, and Des Moines County are appointed as Primary Care, Dental Health, and Mental Health professional shortage areas. Due to these designations, it can be assumed that many of the health needs of the population in these counties may go unmet. EVCHS offers compassionate medical, dental, and behavioral health care for everyone, particularly under or uninsured families. To address the gap in health services that has been created by restricted access to health professionals during the pandemic, EVCHS will be opening a clinic location in Monmouth, IL. This location will enable EVCHS to better serve the area with dental, medical, and behavioral health services by increasing both availability of appointments and access to services geographically. EVCHS offers a sliding fee schedule along with nominal fees charged for those who are under or uninsured, creating access to necessary services for families who may be financially restricted. The clinic in Monmouth also affords the opportunity to reach potentially underserved populations. Warren County is home to a large pork processing plant. It is reported that due to many immigrants that work in this plant there are over 10 different languages spoken here which also filters into the student population where several students are enrolled in the ESL (English Second Language) program.
Requested Amount: $517,783
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Highland Community College Mobile Medical Clinic
Project Sponsor: Highland Community College
Location: 2998 West Pearl City Road, Freeport, IL, 61032
Description: The funding would be used to establish a Mobile Medical Clinic that will serve Highland Community College students, local businesses and organizations, and the community as a whole. Highland will utilize the mobile unit as an instructional opportunity for students to provide services to the community that include preventative and routine screening, such as those for heart health, diabetes, or cholesterol.
Requested Amount: $300,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter


Project Name: Savanna Industrial Park Anaerobic Digester
Project Sponsor: Jo-Carroll Local Redevelopment Authority
Location: 18901 B Street, Savanna, IL, 61032
Description: Construction of an anaerobic digestion facility at Savanna Industrial Park in rural NW Illinois to produce renewable natural gas from food waste, diverted landfill waste and other sources of organic waste, including agricultural biomass and Asian carp waste. The RNG produced by the facility will provide natural gas to the Savanna Industrial Park and its associated planned intermodal/multimodal developments to provide sustainable, climate-smart energy infrastructure for rural economic development and job creation in the region. Furthermore, the RNG produced at the facility could be further refined to produce hydrogen for use in marine and rail applications to create a zero-carbon/zero emissions refueling/conversion hub for NW Illinois and beyond. This funding will allow Savanna to begin the planning for the anaerobic digestion facilities, produce detailed technical and engineering schematics for the anaerobic digester, complete environmental impact statements and other permitting as required by EPA and DNR, and explore organic waste and biosolids options (including Asian Carp, an invasive species). This funding would drive this economic development project forward and would not in practice or purpose directly benefit private entities.
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter


Project Name: Mercer County Business Retention and Expansion Program

Project Sponsor: Mercer County Better Together (MCBT)
Location: 200 North College Avenue, Aledo, IL 61231

Description: This funding will be used to build and sustain local economic resilience by establishing and stabilizing Mercer County’s first intensive BRE program. These funds will empower MCBT to walk alongside local businesses and organizations more frequently to remove barriers to funding readiness, provide one-to-one navigation through application processes and capture the short-term, moderate and long-term needs of the Mercer County business community.

Requested Amount: $225,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Monmouth College: Strengthening Education and Rural Communities By Preparing Teacher Leaders
Project Sponsor: Monmouth College
Location: 700 E Broadway. Monmouth, IL 61462
Description: The project will enable Monmouth College to strengthen and expand its Rural Education Initiatives program (REDI). REDI houses three complementary educational initiatives: a rural teacher corps, a place-based education initiative focused on local agriculture, and a grow-your-own teacher pipeline program with embedded teachers-of-color recruitment and support. These initiatives will revitalize and stabilize rural communities through a strengthened rural education system that combats teacher shortage, increases representation of teachers of color in the field, and fosters student-community engagement. Monmouth has an established and growing program and is currently at a stage where they need funds to expand our initiatives throughout the region to meet the targeted demand.
Requested Amount: $ 750,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter


Project Name: Skip-A-Long Rock Island Campus
Project Sponsor: Skip-A-Long Family and Community Services
Location: 3800 Avenue of the Cities, STE 108, Moline, IL 61265
Description: The funding would be used to expand early childhood education in one of the most impoverished areas of Rock Island, IL, by building a new, unique, state-of-the-art intergenerational Skip-a-Long campus to serve more students and provide them with a high-quality early learning experience. This project will benefit the education, safety, health, and long-term well-being of Rock Island children and families by providing a modern and secure facility that supports play and learning in a calm, welcoming environment. Intergenerational programming and a nature explorer classroom will provide unique learning opportunities not available elsewhere in the community and in few places across the country.
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Downtown Building Demolitions
Project Sponsor: Town of Astoria
Location: 200-204, 206 W. Broadway, Astoria, IL 61501
Description: The funding would be used to acquire and demolish adjoining building that are rapidly deteriorating in the center of Astoria’s downtown business district. The buildings are unsafe, unstable, and pose a risk to the public. Astoria plans to acquire and demolish the buildings and then create green space, possibly a community shelter/pavilion, and parking in the rear of the lots. The buildings are an eyesore and a blight for the community. Other local businesses are right next to these buildings. By demolishing the buildings, Astoria’s main street business district will be more appealing for customers and potential future businesses, in addition to being safer for current tenants.
Requested Amount: $500,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Martin Park Upgrades
Project Sponsor: Village of East Galesburg
Location: 204 Harrison St., East Galesburg, IL 61430
Description: The funding would be used to completely upgrade Martin Park. Upgrades would include adding a splash pad for youth, patio for families, building for fundraisers, benches to sit, and fences and sidewalks for safety. The current park is dilapidated and unusable. The equipment is old, there are no sidewalks or benches for parents to sit, and the pavilion we used for events in the past is completely boarded up due to safety hazards inside. There is not another park in our small community where children and families can gather.
Requested Amount: $1,100,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter

Project Name: Upper Mississippi River – Illinois WW System, IL, IA, MN, MO & WI (Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program)
Project Sponsor: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Rock Island District
Description: Congress recognized the importance of the Upper Mississippi River—Illinois Waterway System (IL, IA, MN, MO, and WI) (UMRS) in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 by designating it as the only nationally significant ecosystem and commercial navigation system. Unfortunately, delays in construction continue to threaten the reliability of the overall productivity of the waterway. This funding would allow preconstruction and design (PED) activities to move forward on LaGrange Lock.

Requested Amount: $25,000,000
Certification of No Financial Interest: Letter