MADISON AND ST. CLAIR COUNTIES, IL – The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) on Friday announced that nearly $2 million in grant funding was recently awarded to 13 agencies throughout Madison and St. Clair Counties, for projects that develop or improve local parks and trails comprised within the district.

In July 2020, MEPRD published its FY21 Park and Trail Grant Program, a revamped version of its popular funding opportunity that has been offered annually to local public agencies and 501(c)3 non-profit organizations for the development or improvement of public parks, trails, and recreational facilities. Under the FY21 Program, qualifying agencies with an eligible project type could apply for and receive a reimbursement grant of up to $300K, or 40% of the project’s total cost. Since MEPRD’s first grant program in 2003, MEPRD has partnered with 63 agencies and committed $28.9 million in grant funding, supporting a total of 197 park and trail projects within Madison and St. Clair Counties.

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MEPRD began accepting applications for its FY21 Park and Trail Grant Program on August 12th. Within less than 48 hours of the grant program becoming available, the entire program budget totaling $2M had been applied for—an all-time record for MEPRD.

According to Cole Preston, MEPRD Grant Coordinator, “The awarded projects are poised to further enrich outdoor recreation opportunities in the Metro-East, in communities both large and small, rural and urban. “We are thrilled with the success of this year’s program and look forward to partnering with the sponsoring agencies to help make each project a reality, for the good of their communities and for the good of the region.”

A total of 13 projects were approved by MEPRD for an FY21 Award, 7 of which are regional trail developments and 6 are park improvements. All FY21 Park and Trail Grant recipients are listed below, along with each corresponding project title, project type, and grant award. For additional information, to include detailed project scopes, visit the interactive table of projects and map of projects at www.meprd.org/projects.

Project Sponsor: Alton, City of

Project Title: Artificial Turf Improvements at Hopkins Field
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $300,000.00

Project Sponsor: Cahokia, Village of

Project Title: Cahokia Park – Surveillance Cameras and Emergency Call Stations
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $29,360.00

Project Sponsor: Edwardsville, City of

Project Title: Ice Complex Trail Connection
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $77,685.84

Project Sponsor: Godfrey, Village of

Project Title: Fred E. Widman Bike/Ped Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $300,000.00

Project Sponsor: Madison County Transit District

Project Title: MCT IT Beltline Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $300,000.00

Project Sponsor: Millstadt, Village of

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Project Title: Millstadt Park – Fencing Ball Field #3
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $4,428.80

Project Sponsor: New Douglas, Village of

Project Title: New Douglas City Park Project
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $1,600.00

Project Sponsor: Shiloh, Village of

Project Title: Richland Creek Corridor Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $203,566.00

Project Sponsor: Smithton, Village of

Project Title: Pavilion Picnic Tables
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $8,051.79

Project Sponsor: St. Clair County Transit District

Project Title: Old Collinsville Road Trail, Phase III
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $300,000.00

Project Sponsor: St. Clair Township

Project Title: Loop Creek Park Improvements, Phase II
Project Type: Park Improvement

MEPRD Grant: $134,120.00

Project Sponsor: Swansea, Village of

Project Title: Clinton Hills Conservation Park Lollipop Nature Trail
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $39,200.00

Project Sponsor: Troy, City of

Project Title: Tri-Township Park Regional Trail Connector
Project Type: Trail Development

MEPRD Grant: $300,000.00

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