FREMONT, Ohio — A big construction project on a major road in Fremont received some much needed federal funding. But local leaders said it's not enough.
As part of the Think Fremont plan, the City of Fremont wants to resurface a major portion of West State Street from Front Street to Rawson Avenue.
This streetscaping project also aims to improve pedestrian access to the downtown and generally beautify one of the gateways into the community.
Recently, U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D, Toledo) announced $850,000 for the project.
"Although the entire city is important, we've tried to focus on entry points into the city because certain grants only qualify for certain areas," Fremont mayor Danny Sanchez said.
City leaders aren't necessarily celebrating just yet because the entire project is estimated at $2.3 million which leaves the city waiting to see if they can get state funding approved through local state reps and state senators.
With residents again voting down the city's street's levy last November, Fremont will not be able to pay for a large portion of this project themselves.
The 20% matching portion due from the city if the state funding is secured would mean less money for future residential street work.
"With the 1988 income tax that the city is working off of every day, we're not able to meet the need to get to those side streets," Sanchez said. "Every day that we don't complete those streets, the worse condition they're going to get in."
Once the City of Fremont officially receives the $850,000, they'll be able to use it for two years.
Sanchez is hopeful that in that two-year window they'll be able to secure some more state funding to get this streetscaping project finished.