[[{“value”:”
We filed an open records request with the City of El Paso to learn about the status of eight grant applications aimed at funding the Debt Plaza over Interstate 10.
So far the City has applied for $80,440,000 in grants, with $17,307,109 in matching funds, for a total of $99,723,789.
As things stand, the project has been awarded only $997,789, which is 1% of the funds requested.
Four of five grant applications have been rejected, totaling $60,000,000 (including $11,000,000 in matching funds).
Most recently, the City was denied $10,000,000 from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program of US the Department of Transportation and $25,000,000 from the TXDoT 2025 Transportation Alternatives Program.
Our sources tell us that the City and County were really hoping for that funding.
There are still three pending grant applications totaling $38,726,000 (including $6,209,320 in matching funds), but if the City has as much luck on these as it had in the last few weeks, the project will either die on the vine or the taxpayers will be on the hook for an immense sum of money.
That will depend on our local politicians and how far they are willing to push this thing for their moneyed campaign contributors.
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