Visit Everglades City and the Ten Thousand Islands of Southwest Florida, the Everglades

July Bank of Everglades Update

Everglades City

by Patty Huff

This summer we are looking forward to our Bank of Everglades Building project moving forward. Over the past six months ESHP has been working diligently, completing necessary documents and applying for funding through both state and federal agencies. The following is an update that we wanted to share with you:

  • Environmental Review: With the acceptance of the $3 million federal appropriations last year, we were required to complete an Environmental Review to HUD. This was a 16-month process with the ER finally submitted on May 6. We recently received notification that the “environmental review for this project was adequately completed and approved/certified” by HUD. Great news to be able to start the project!

  • Additional Federal Funding Request for $2 million submitted on March 22: We received a letter on May 22 from our U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart that the Appropriations Committee decided that “non-profits are ineligible to apply for Community Project Funding projects for fiscal year 2025.” This was a disappointment!

  • Palladian Window: On May 31 ESHP submitted a matching grant application for $50,000 (total) to the State Division of Historic Resources to cover the cost of the historic Palladian window. This cost includes installation and estimated price increase.

  • State Funding Request for $1.559 million: Our Florida State Appropriations Request was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in May, then vetoed by the Governor when he signed the 2024-25 budget.

  • Construction Documents: REG Architects has completed the construction documents for permit review and will soon send out bids for a general contractor.

So, we have had some good and some bad news recently. During the upcoming months, we should be able to see great progress and will keep you updated. We would also like to thank you for your past support and appreciate your interest in our Bank of Everglades Building Project.

2024-07-19T11:28:59-04:00July 24, 2024|Community|

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