Cambridge City town officials have learned more about potential support to help pursue federal funding for a water tower in Gateway Industrial Park.
If Cambridge City is successful in applying for a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant, it could receive $2.5 million toward the approximately $6 million project’s construction costs. A water main has been removed from the project, reducing costs.
EDA officials have strongly encouraged Cambridge City to apply before April 1 or wait until next year.
Not expecting to apply quite so soon, Cambridge City hasn’t yet conducted a rate study to determine how costs would increase for Gateway Industrial Park customers. The town’s residential and business customers won’t pay more because their earlier rate increase was for finished in-town repairs.
The town would be responsible for engineering and grant writing and administration costs. Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County and county government might cover two-thirds, but their approval wasn’t final as of council’s March 4 meeting because definite costs hadn’t been available.
Without the project, EDC President Valerie Shaffer told Cambridge City council that Gateway would have water capacity to support a new tenant, but the amount of water for fire suppression could be a concern to prospective tenants.
Shaffer said that concern could deter larger entities from creating jobs in the park.
She and council are hopeful that SugarCreek might continue expanding its food processing, which would require more water as well.
News about a grant could arrive in August.
A version of this article appeared in the March 13 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.