City Manager Says U City Has Been Awarded Additional Disaster Grant Funds

City Manager Lehman Walker said University City has been successful in obtaining an .

In order to pursue the new grant money, the City had to delay going forward with the Wilson Avenue Flood Buyout in late January.

In an email to University City Patch, Walker said "The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) notified staff that a Community Development Block Grant for disaster assistance will be awarded to the City of University City.  The grant award is $461,000." 

 Walker added "City staff is in the process of preparing the environmental assessment that is a condition of the grant award."

Walker said of the $1 million in City reserves set aside for the Wilson Avenue buyout, $539,000 will be required.  He said the remainder can be reallocated for other projects. 

Walker said the possibility of helping additional people in the floodplain and putting more money into the City's coffers made the delay worthwhile. 

In September of 2008, flash flooding of the River Des Peres severely damaged over 100 U City residences. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded U City a $3 million grant to acquire 26 properties in the floodplain.

Walker said he will talk more about the grant and the buyout at Monday night's City Council meeting.