Gov. Evers Announces More Than $20 Million Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant for Madison and Dane County

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced the city of Madison will receive $6 million and Dane County will receive nearly $15 million as part of the Neighborhood Investment Fund grant program. These funds will be used for community development projects that expand affordable housing, bolster economic, social, and cultural opportunities, and support business development and entrepreneurship.

“I often like to talk about connecting the dots and that’s exactly what these projects are all about. From housing to business development to workforce training, all of these issues are connected,” said Gov. Evers. “So, I am glad to award these funds to help local leaders and community-based organizations working together to continue to serve and bolster their neighborhoods, ensuring they don’t just recover but thrive.”

The city of Madison will use $2 million in Neighborhood Investment Fund grants to support the Bayview redevelopment project which is a $52 million redevelopment project to expand its campus to provide affordable housing options to an additional 200 low-income residents and more than double the number of people served by the neighborhood center. Additionally, Madison will also use $4 million to help construct and operate a new public market to connect vendors with consumers, as well as help entrepreneurs and young businesses with training and mentoring.

Dane County will receive $14.8 million in Neighborhood Investment Fund grants for business development and support for entrepreneurs through the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub, expanding economic, social, and cultural opportunities in the community through the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, and expanding workforce training and programming with a new building for Centro Hispano.

Part of a nearly $650 million investment allocated by the governor for community building and recovery efforts statewide, the Neighborhood Investment Fund program was announced in August 2021 and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Grants being awarded range in size from $1 million to a maximum of $15 million and are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Applications opened on Sept. 30, 2021, and closed on Nov. 11, 2021. Additional information can be found on the program website. A list of grant awardees will be provided in the coming days.

“We are very excited to join Governor Evers as part of the Neighborhood Investment Fund awards announcement,” said DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld. “The projects awarded today will make a lasting impact for Madison businesses and entrepreneurs, workforce and economic development, and the community for years to come.”

Wisconsinites can visit BadgerBounceback.wi.gov to view pandemic-related assistance information for families, farmers, businesses, organizations, and communities, as well as the latest data and success stories about how COVID-relief investments are making a difference across the state. For updates on other recovery-related grant opportunities, sign up for the Badger Bounceback update list.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.