(West Des Moines) On Thursday, Iowa 3rd District Representative Cindy Axne announced funding requests for 15 community Projects in Iowa’s Third Congressional District she submitted to the House Appropriations Committee.
On that list is a one-million-dollar request to construct a childcare center in Griswold. “I see a community full of people working incredibly hard to ensure their town is successful,” stated Axne during a recent visit to Griswold.
The proposed center will provide year-round child care, including full-time, drop-in, and before and after school care. The center, located south of the Griswold Elementary School, is designed with four childcare rooms to accommodate children ranging from six weeks to four years of age, including a separate area for before and after school care.
“We are struggling to bring in business because there is no housing and a lack of childcare,” said Axne. “There are families that can’t take a second job even though its’ needed because there is no childcare. There is money leaving the school system here because parents take their children to a childcare center in another town. Therefore those kids develop relationships, and those children stay in those communities to go to school. That means around $100,000 is taken out of this town.”
Currently, the Noble Initiative Foundation is in the process of an aggressive $2.3 million capital campaign to build the facility.
In addition to the funding request for Griswold, Axne submitted funding requests for one-million dollars to retrofit green storm water infrastructure practices in Pacific Junction. She’s also requesting $779,025 to help Adams County Economic Development Corporation create an entrepreneurial and incubator center in Corning.
“This year, I secured more than $10 million for much-needed community projects in Iowa ranging from expanding child care centers to replacing bridges and building new affordable housing,” Rep. Axne said. “These projects are led at the local level and allow Iowans to say how their tax dollars are spent directly. I am pleased to submit a new round of projects to be considered for funding in 2023 that would help make Iowa’s Third Congressional District an even better place to live and work.”
Listed below are the projects Rep. Axne has submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for FY23:
- $7,000,000 to design a new passenger terminal for the Des Moines International Airport
- $7,000,000 to reconstruct and expand a portion of Broadway Avenue in Des Moines
- $2,000,000 to replace a bridge on 250th Street between Evergreen Avenue and G Avenue in Montgomery County
- $1,919,082.43 to reconstruct roads, parking areas, alleys, water quality features, traffic signage, pedestrian sidewalks, and for the beautification of downtown Perry
- $1,789,100 to revitalize downtown Mount Ayr through surface transportation improvements
- $1,500,000 to add 30,000 square feet to the Food Bank of Iowa’s warehouse in Des Moines
- $1,322,415 to help expand the Meals on Wheels Program in Des Moines run by Wesley Community Services
- $1,200,000 to build a program supporting foster youth as they transition to adulthood at the Iowa Homeless Youth Center in Des Moines
- $1,000,000 to construct a child development center in Griswold
- $1,000,000 to retrofit green stormwater infrastructure practices in Pacific Junction
- $779,025 to help Adams County Economic Development Corporation create an entrepreneurial and incubator center in Corning
- $500,000 to make stormwater improvements at Greenbelt Landing Park in Clive
- $360,000 to expand affordable housing options through Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s Workforce Housing in Polk County
- $339,000 to expand the DMACC Commercial Driver’s License Training Program
- $300,754.52 to purchase new radios for Windsor Heights Police and Fire Departments
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects (up from 10 in FY2022) in their community for 2023. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams. Only state and local governments and non-profit organizations (including special districts and quasi-governmental non-profits) are permitted to receive funding.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congresswoman Axne has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of her requested projects.
