Rebuild Downtown & Main Street Capital Grant

Taylorville — 08/17/2022 — The City of Taylorville has been awarded a Rebuild Downtown & Main Streets Capital Grant. The grant will be used to make improvements to the downtown area and will make it more accessible to and enhance the safety of all citizens of Taylorville and visitors to Taylorville. These proposed improvements include:

• ADA access to all commercial properties
• Pedestrian-friendly streetscapes encouraging visitors to spend time in the commercial area
• Bicycle racks encouraging alternative types of transportation to the commercial area
• Benches allowing visitors to rest and congregate
• Improved lighting in the pedestrian and vehicle travel corridors
• Provide defined pedestrian crosswalks

As of now, the project is expected to take two years from start to completion.

The pathway to receiving this grant began with community support in the form of a petition that garnered nearly 1,000 signatures and civic advocacy from, not only the city of Taylorville but, an interest group led by Mayor Bruce Barry. Small Town Taylorville was proud to be a part of the process with a letter-writing campaign that resulted in 85 letters from downtown businesses and building owners and a door-to-door initiative. Small Town Taylorville will continue to advocate for making Taylorville’s downtown area-and all of the city-a more accessible and safer place for all!

The program is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to improve commercial areas that have experienced disinvestment, particularly in communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. Of the 50 projects selected to receive grant funds, Taylorville was one of 16 that received the full funding amount.

Stay tuned for progress updates!