Rep. Kelly Announces FY2023 Community Project Funding Submissions

WASHINGTON, DC– Today Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly (IL-02) announced the 15 Community Project Funding Requests she has submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for inclusion in the FY2023 appropriations package.

“I’m thrilled to announce the 15 projects I have selected for consideration under the FY2023 Community Project Funding process,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “Last year, I was able to select 10 projects and brought back more than $6.7 million to the Second Congressional District. This year, I will be able to bring home more resources to fund these deserving projects and improve the lives of Illinoisans across our district. From home ownership to water infrastructure, to business and economic development, these projects represent worthwhile investments in the futures of our communities.”

Congresswoman Kelly received more than 75 submissions for consideration and selected the below 15 projects based on need and impact for the communities she represents. 

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their communities for fiscal year 2023 – although only a handful may be funded. 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.

Congresswoman Robin Kelly submitted the following projects for funding:

Project Name: Orchid’s Healing Circles
Requested Amount: $120,000
Intended Recipient: Full Gospel Christian Assemblies International  
Explanation of Request: This project would provide a healing environment for victims of gun violence. It also serves as a platform to create a collaborative environment for Community Policing. The goal is to bring issues to the forefront and give youth the ability to utilize the tools of conflict resolution and critical thinking skills to get to the root causes of crime and violence. It is driven by young adults as ambassadors to help youth at risk with a bottom-up approach.

Project Name: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) After School Program
Requested Amount: $100,000
Intended Recipient: Mentoring Youth Through Technology
Explanation of Request: This project would enhance STEM educational opportunities for special needs and at-risk youth in underserved communities. The primary goal is to provide a positive example for youth as well expose them to new technological ideas. The objective is to provide a safe place for students to interact and compete in a healthy environment and learn cross cutting skills that introduce them to many levels of STEM education and careers.

Project Name: Streetlight Improvement Project
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Intended Recipient: City of Harvey
Explanation of Request: This project will fund 625 streetlights that do not function correctly. The lack of sufficient road and pedestrian-scaled lighting poses a threat to public safety, reduces visibility, and is an impediment to City’s economic and community revitalization efforts. This funding will bring the City’s existing streetlights back to full operating condition and reduce crime. 

Project Name: Cook County Environmental Infrastructure
Requested Amount: $10,000,000
Intended Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Explanation of Request: This project would fund needed water infrastructure projects on Chicago's South Side related, but not limited, to development and protection of water supply and wastewater systems, combined sewer overflows, and remediation of adverse water quality impacts and storm water impacts to waste water systems.

Project Name: Promontory Point Study
Requested Amount: $550,000
Intended Recipient: Chicago Park District
Explanation of Request: This project is already authorized by the USACE and would include an independent third-party study to determine a preferred preservation approach for the design of Promontory Point Shoreline Protection Project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Project Name: Internee-to-Entrepreneur Program
Requested Amount: $626,000
Intended Recipient: Chatham Business Association
Explanation of Request: The funding would provide a 12-week program with Olive-Harvey College, to assist 30 students with business plans and formation. The overall goal of the program is to create a business plan, obtain a business license, and financing that will result in a surge of economic development and reduction in recidivism. The program structure incorporates key activities: assessments, career readiness, education, coaching and mentoring, support services, business start-up, and professional development.

Project Name: Maternal Child Health + Wellness Center
Requested Amount: $353,441
Intended Recipient: Family Christian Health Center
Explanation of Request: The funding would be used for funding the purchase of an ultrasound for use on high-risk pregnancies to support the provision of Level II prenatal care provided by UCM Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists at FCHC’s Maternal Child Health + Wellness Center. It will fund specialists who will provide on-going care of women and complete obstetric ultrasound interpretation at the Center and a 1.0 FTE Ultrasound Technician to complete the screenings, one year of screening readings, and equipment related IT and maintenance costs. In addition, the ultrasound services will be made available to other local providers in need of Level II ultrasound screenings and readings.

Project Name: Network Infrastructure Upgrade to Main Campus
Requested Amount: $1,844,000
Intended Recipient: Prairie State College
Explanation of Request: This project will expand Prairie State’s ability to implement new programs to re-engage students through overdue investments to upgrade their local area technology and communication network. Their internal network is obsolete and not sufficient to promote uninterrupted teaching and learning. The funding will allow them to upgrade to 10GB speeds and expand high speed Wi-Fi access to the campus.

Project Name: Psychiatry Living Room Model
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Riverside Medical Center
Explanation of Request: The funding would be used for building a less-restrictive living room model that would provide a group-home age and gender appropriate living structure, allowing children to lead more normal lives, in an adjacent pediatric hospital unit.

Project Name: South Shore Hospital Corp Capital Improvements
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Intended Recipient: South Shore Hospital Corporation
Explanation of Request: The funding would be used for three pressing needs directly affecting patient safety and security. First, the hospital’s four elevators are over 40 years old and beyond repairs that guarantee patient and visitor safety. Second, IT security updates and equipment are needed to enhance and improve the hospital’s ability to protect and secure patient personal, insurance, and diagnosis information. Third, security cameras for the protection of inpatients/outpatients, visitors and others inside and outside of the hospital.

Project Name: Southland Career Center Design and Program Development
Requested Amount: $1,740,000
Intended Recipient: Southland Career and Technical Education Center (SCTEC)
Explanation of Request: This project serves the Southland Career and Technical Education Center (SCTEC) stakeholder communities – seven school districts and one community college – to develop program outlines for curricular training in Construction, Information Technology, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Public Safety, and Urban Agriculture and to create the SCTEC area career center facility design.

Project Name: Acquisition and Demolition of Blighted and Vacant Buildings
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Intended Recipient: City of Harvey
Explanation of Request: This project will fund revitalization strategies including investing in infrastructure, demolishing vacant properties, incentivizing housing rehabilitation and new residential development, enabling equitable transit-oriented development, investing in safe streets, and activating the city's parks and open spaces.

Project Name: Lake Calumet Trail
Requested Amount: $844,800
Intended Recipient: Illinois International Port District
Explanation of Request: This project would fund a study to assess existing conditions, impacts, develop alternatives, and provide preliminary designs for the proposed 1.82-mile trail through the Illinois International Port District, from Doty Avenue to Big Marsh Park. The study will include a Security & Maintenance Plan, which will assist the Illinois International Port District in identifying resources and partnerships to support the trail’s ongoing safety, accessibility, and state of good repair. Once implemented, the project will help to establish a quality recreational corridor for Chicago’s far South Side neighborhoods, that connects the Pullman National Monument with the Harborside Golf Course, Lake Calumet, Square Marsh and Big Marsh Park.

Project Name: Museum Expansion and Community Economic Development Empowerment Project
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Intended Recipient: A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum Inc
Explanation of Request: This project would complete an adaptive reuse rehab expansion of a 2000 SF, 3 story Pullman Row-House, the existing home of the A Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, and combine it to the blighted adjacent 2000 SF property space, to create the sorely needed added space, and produce a Multimedia Civil Rights Wing.

Project Name: South Shore Homeownership Preservation
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Intended Recipient: City of Chicago
Explanation of Request: This project will allow struggling HOA's and condos to obtain financing for repairs to help preserve diminishing homeownership on Chicago’s Southside. This will help ensure longtime residents are not priced out of their homes or forced to move because of dangerous or uncomfortable living conditions.