City Hall seeks $12.2 million more in state I-JOBS funds for outdoor amphitheater, new fire stations, pulling city infrastructure from new greenway

CEDAR RAPIDS - The City Council is seeking to secure $12.2 million more in state I-JOBS disaster-related funds in a statewide competition for a remaining pot of about $30 million in such funds.

To date, Cedar Rapids' city government has secured a total of $43 million in I-JOBS funds: $5 million each for the new library, renovation of the Public Works Facility, renovation of the Paramount Theatre and payments to help businesses that had used the flood-ruined downtown steam system; $15 million for the new Event Center project; $4 million for the renovation of the Veterans Memorial Building; and $4 million for the renovation of the former federal courthouse for city use.

In its latest I-JOBS application, the city will seek I-JOBS "disaster-prevention" funds (amounts for each project in parentheses) to help in paying for:

- an outdoor, floodable, riverfront amphitheater in the downtown ($1.75 million).

- the construction of a new Central Fire Station on First Avenue East and a new west-side fire station ($6.6 million).

- the removal of public infrastructure as part of the creation of a greenway along the river in northwest Cedar Rapids ($420,000).

- new storm sewer gates and valves to keep flood water out of the sewers ($1.15 million).

- new Cedar River Trail underpass under the rebuilt CRANDIC Railroad bridge below Eighth Avenue SE ($450,000).

- flood protection along Indian Creek for the Sun Valley Neighborhood ($128,000).

- additional funding for the city's Public Works Facility ($1.7 million).