Tom Kacich | Millions in federal funds could be headed to area, thanks to all

On their to-do lists

Following is a list of earmarks, or area projects submitted by members of Congress and senators for inclusion in the fiscal year 2025 federal budget. A vote on the budget won’t occur until later this year or next year:

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield 13th Congressional District

• $3.3 million to the Urbana Park District for improvements to Prairie and Weaver parks in east Urbana (above).

“Our basis for selection and award is that the neighborhood is in need of re-investment,” said Tim Bartlett, executive director of the park district. “The new Urbana Park District Health and Wellness Center will be our first step in re-investment in this neighborhood. We envision the need for a Phase 2 investment to help provide for the infrastructure needed for these two parks to reach their full potential in supporting this high hope neighborhood. The infrastructure outlined in our request was for support of electrical utilities, water, drainage, stormwater management, sanitary, grading, parking and other park and facility infrastructure to ultimately support future improvements.”

• $2.6 million to the University of Illinois for expansion of the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory on the Urbana campus. $1.2 million to the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District to buy two parcels of land from the city of Champaign for the expansion of the Illinois Terminal building in downtown Champaign. One parcel is a ramped parking lot south of the building and the other is the lot directly west of it. $1 million to the Champaign Park District for reconstruction of Parkland Way through Dodds Park connecting Mattis Avenue and Parkland College (above). $240,000 to Piatt County for improvements to county-owned buildings.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson Second Congressional District

• $1.6 million to Iroquois County for upgraded radio communications equipment for county law enforcement. $1.25 million to the village of Rantoul to extend Broadmeadow Road south to the Rantoul Family Sports Complex (above). $1.1 million to the village of Tilton to add five bays to the village fire station. $1.027 million to the city of Paxton for the second phase of streetscape improvements on South Market Street (above).

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro 12th Congressional District

$1.1 million to the Effingham Fire Department for a new platform ladder truck. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria

16th Congressional District

• $4.5 million to the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority for design and construction of a new air cargo road for heavy tractor-trailers serving planes at the airport. $2 million to replace a bridge and widen the roadway on Fox Creek Road in southwest Bloomington.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield

• $3.5 million to Parkland College to build a new dental clinic and training facility. The project would expand charity-care services for hundreds of patients annually and allow Parkland to expand its dental-hygienist program (right). $560,000 to Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home in Watseka for facility improvements. $500,000 to the Agricultural Research Service for improvements to its facilities in Urbana. $105,000 to Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital in Coles County to expand rural tele-health efforts. $3.7 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation for vehicle and equipment purchases to benefit transit agencies serving Danville, Carbondale and Marion.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates

• $1.21 million to the village of Kansas for development of its municipal building. $1.05 million to Parkland College to fund upgrades to the college’s aviation program. $1 million to Vermilion Advantage in Danville to pay for stormwater infrastructure upgrades. $580,000 to Eastern Illinois University to fund new technology and equipment upgrades at the Student Security Operations Center. $500,000 to the city of Paris for wastewater improvements. $262,000 to the Urbana school district for development of a community school initiative. $200,000 to Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home in Watseka for improvements.

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold said he had a vision seven years ago to modernize his city’s downtown to make it look like about 60 years ago.

“When we started this, I said, ‘We don’t have a natural resource like the Grand Canyon or Lake of the Ozarks that will make people want to come to Paxton,’” said Ingold, mayor for almost 20 years. “So I said, ‘Let’s do something and make the downtown look like 1959.’ I think we’ve accomplished that with the street lights and the pedestrian lights, the sidewalks, the benches.”

But that was just one block of…