City of Gig Harbor Receives Federal Grant Money

President Obama signed appropriations bill last week that included two federal grants for the City of Gig Harbor;

1.) $1.4M from the Federal Transportation Community & System Preservation Program sponsored by Senator Patty Murray for continuing the Donkey Creek day-lighting project. The Donkey Creek project had already received $800K grant from the Federal Department of the Interior, sponsored by Congressman Norm Dicks. Combining these two grants provides the City of Gig Harbor the money needed to design and begin construction on this project which includes day-lighting the creek, replacing the underground pipe with a fish-friendly culvert and building a pedestrian friendly bridge. Gig Harbor City Councilman Tim Payne says "This is a dream come true! The restoration of Donkey Creek will bring attention to the importance and influence of salmon on one of Gig Harbor's earliest industries: commercial fishing."

2.) $730 K from the Federal Housing and Urban Development Economic Development Initiative Program sponsored by Senator Patty Murray, for the Gig Harbor Boys & Girls Hope Center for programming and capital campaign. This money will be added to the $250K the City of Gig Harbor has already committed to the new Boys and Girls Club. Councilman Derek Young says "Obtaining these funds for the Boys and Girls Club means that they can expand programming that would have otherwise not been available in Gig Harbor. Support for the club from our congressional delegation has been critical throughout the process."