DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The City of Decatur is preparing a site north of Interstate 72 for new development after receiving a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.
Decatur was awarded $3.07 million from the DCEO’s Regional Site Readiness Program to help plan and construct a 1.1-mile water main extension to a prime industrial development area north of I-72. The new water main will service an area ready for development thanks to existing sewer infrastructure, power from a nearby Ameren substation, and proximity to I-72.
The City of Decatur’s water masterplan has called for a 12-inch water main running north of Brush College Road to Cundiff Road to service this area and eventually west to create a loop with existing watermains in Hickory Point Road near the Village of Forsyth.
The project will construct the north-south segment of the potential loop.
The 2009 Macon County Comprehensive Plan identifies the area as a logical extension of the industrial zone in the City’s northeast quadrant.
Plans can be viewed here.
The grant also provides funding for preliminary engineering to supply ground water to this area. A potential source is the City’s DeWitt County wellfields, the City of Decatur said. City officials said constructing a pipeline to connect these locations could provide low-cost groundwater for industrial use.
The DCEO grant award is $2,918,000 for the water main extension and $149,500 for the water infrastructure study/preliminary engineering.
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