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Main Street seeks grant for sidewalks

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By Randy Bell

By Randy Bell It’s been a goal of Main Street Clinton to have a way for pedestrians to walk safely from Olde Towne to Lakeview Drive and the many spots in between, but coming up with the money to extend the sidewalks has been a challenge. Now, the organization is applying for a revitalization grant from Mississippi Main Street to finance the first phase of the project. “We’re looking for money to do some sidewalks to Clinton Boulevard down College Street,” says Main Street Clinton Director Tara Lytal. “We can apply for up to $500,000. We are not quite sure at this point what our project will cost, but it will probably be somewhere in that neighborhood.” Lytal says the new grant program is a partnership between Main Street Mississippi, which reviews the applications, and the Mississippi Legislature, which provides the funding. She says several communities received grants in 2023, in the first year of the program. Lytal thinks Clinton has a reasonable chance of getting some of the money this year. “I would hope so,” she says. “We will definitely be up against some stiff competition.” The Board of Aldermen voted August 20 to authorize Lytal’s application. Not counting a couple of short segments in the Clinton Plaza area, the sidewalks from Olde Towne and Mississippi College currently end just east of the Clinton Parkway. Last year, the City did a traffic study, in hopes of getting an MDOT grant to extend the sidewalks. That project would have involved repurposing part of Clinton Boulevard, shrinking the width of the street to two lanes and adding sidewalks along the edges.

It’s been a goal of Main Street Clinton to have a way for pedestrians to walk safely from Olde Towne to Lakeview Drive and the many spots in between, but coming up with the money to extend the sidewalks has been a challenge.  Now, the organization is applying for a revitalization grant from Mississippi Main Street to finance the first phase of the project.

“We’re looking for money to do some sidewalks to Clinton Boulevard down College Street,” says Main Street Clinton Director Tara Lytal.  “We can apply for up to $500,000.  We are not quite sure at this point what our project will cost, but it will probably be somewhere in that neighborhood.”

Lytal says the new grant program is a partnership between Main Street Mississippi, which reviews the applications, and the Mississippi Legislature, which provides the funding.  She says several communities received grants in 2023, in the first year of the program.

Lytal thinks Clinton has a reasonable chance of getting some of the money this year.

“I would hope so,” she says.  “We will definitely be up against some stiff competition.”

The Board of Aldermen voted August 20 to authorize Lytal’s application.

Not counting a couple of short segments in the Clinton Plaza area, the sidewalks from Olde Towne and Mississippi College currently end just east of the Clinton Parkway.  Last year, the City did a traffic study, in hopes of getting an MDOT grant to extend the sidewalks.  That project would have involved repurposing part of Clinton Boulevard, shrinking the width of the street to two lanes and adding sidewalks along the edges.

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