Mississippi Announces $41 Million for Disaster Recovery Projects

More than $41 million in disaster recovery grants was announced for projects in 39 Mississippi counties and cities.

The announcement was made by Gov. Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Development Authority.

“This funding will help key communities in south and central Mississippi rebuild vital public facilities which were damaged,” by Hurricane Katrina, Barbour said in a statement.

The money came from Mississippi’s $5.48 billion federal Katrina recovery package.

MDA executive director Gray Swoope said the agency worked with the cities and counties to make sure their projects would qualify for the money.

Each of the projects are in the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, or GO Zone. The GO Zone contains a variety of tax breaks designed to stimulate construction in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

Swoope said of $5.48 billion approved for Mississippi, more than $2.3 billion was appropriated specifically for community revitalization projects.

The grants announced were:

Bay Springs — debris removal/drainage improvements — $265,600.

Brookhaven — debris removal/drainage improvements — $665,000.

Carthage — debris removal/drainage improvements — $3.9 million.

Centreville — demolition of damaged public building, construction of community center — $544,000.

Decatur — repair and improvements of wastewater treatment lagoon — $909,040.

Edwards — repair/rehabilitation of Town Hall — $320,000.

Forest — repair and renovation of Head Start/nutrition site — $311,800.

Hattiesburg — construction of fire station to replace one damaged by the storm — $1.4 million.

Hattiesburg — improvements to water treatment plant — $2.36 million.

Jasper County — repair of courthouse — $160,480.

Lamar County — expansion and construction of fire stations — $1.9 million.

Laurel — demolition/construction of senior citizens building — $234,000.

Laurel — construction of water treatment plant administrative building — $1.1 million.

Louisville — repairs to Louisville Coliseum — $606,000.

Lumberton — demolition of damaged buildings and creation of green space — $1.16 million.

Magnolia — downtown revitalization/streetscape repair and improvements — $633,949.

Magnolia — repair and improvements to elevated water tank — $344,500.

McComb — construction of elevated water tank — $2 million.

Meridian — Bonita Lake dam repair and drainage improvements — $1.78 million.

Oktibbeha County –demolition and reconstruction of damaged county education building –$1.69 million.

Osyka — restoration and repair and Town Hall — $260,000.

Pachuta — drainage repair and improvements — $580,150.

Pelahatchie — streetscape repair/improvements, building rehabilitation — $1.8 million.

Pelahatchie — repair and renovation of Town Hall — $231,500.

Philadelphia — replace damaged nutrition site — $1.12 million.

Purvis — repair and improvements of the wastewater treatment facility — $916,200.

Ridgeland — water system improvements — $2.65 million.

Shubuta — debris removal and repair of wastewater treatment lagoon — $121,250.

Stonewall — removal and disposal of storm debris — $405,300.

Summit — downtown revitalization/streetscape repair and improvements — $1 million.

Sumrall — drainage improvements — $430,700.

Taylorsville — structural repair of Watkins Museum — $152,305.

Union — construction of water treatment plant to replace the one damaged by the storm — $2 million.

Vicksburg — construction/repair of the damaged fire station and terminal building at city airport — $1.3 million.

Walnut Grove — debris removal and drainage improvements — $916,680.

Warren County — drainage improvements for various bayous — $3.98 million.

Waynesboro — development of new landfill to accommodate debris from Katrina — $796,583.

Wesson — debris removal and drainage improvements — $202,500.

Wesson — Sewer system repair and improvements — $209,500.

MDA.