The R Street improvements currently under construction from 10th to 13th streets are getting a few more amenities, as construction left extra funds in an approximately $1 million $1.5 million federal grant allocated to the project. The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to approve 13 more pedestrian benches, 13 banners affixed to streetlights and a decorative arch that spans R Street at 10th Street and a pedestrian arch over the sidewalk on 12th Street and R Street, to be constructed by T... mstewart22 TLeon comment-50874 2011-05-20T04:37:55Z 2011-05-20T04:37:55Z The project recieved a SACOG Community Design Grant in 2008 for $4.6 Million. The SACOG was comprised of roughly $4.1Million of Federal funds The federal money was TEA21 funding meant for streetscape enhancements. After the low bid submitted by Teichert construction, the project had roughly $1.5 Million left over that would have been returned to SACOG/Feds if not used. The CIty, CADA, and the Community quickly came up with additional improvements for the project. The project will still return almost $1.0 Million in unused Grant funds. The Federal Earmark from 2005 was used for a different segment of the project. TLeon 2011-05-20T04:37:55Z Brandon Darnell comment-50850 2011-05-19T18:48:31Z 2011-05-19T18:48:31Z The $1.5 million in the story is a reference to that earmark you mentioned. The money for these improvements is not a new grant, but funds already allotted to the project. Brandon Darnell 2011-05-19T18:48:31Z Ali Tabatabai comment-50845 2011-05-19T18:25:09Z 2011-05-19T18:25:09Z I believe the original funding for the project is part of a federal earmark. I'm not clear as to whether the 1.5 million is a new grant, or money in the earmark that wasn't used yet and is now being freed up to add these "icing on the cake" improvements. Can someone clear that up? Ali Tabatabai 2011-05-19T18:25:09Z cogmeyer comment-50811 2011-05-19T16:16:22Z 2011-05-19T16:16:22Z Happy to see some good construction management keeping the project on schedue and even some reserve money leftover for some bonus work. It is still amazing though that federal money would be involved in such an incredibly local/regional project as this. cogmeyer 2011-05-19T16:16:22Z