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Century In The Midst of $30 Million In Grant Funded Projects
January 22, 2024
The Town of Century is currently in the midst of nearly $30 million in projects funded by grants.
The largest grant, just over $10 million, will be used to demolish the old Century High School gym on Hecker Road and build a shelter that can double as a multi-purpose facility. There is funding to replace the failed Freedom Road bridge that has been closed for years, and several projects related to potable water and wastewater.
Most of the projects are in the early stages, and most have not seen much physical work begin, accoriding to a document distributed to the town council
Last October, Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. addressed members of the Escambia County Legislative Delegation – Sen. Doug Broxson, State Rep. Alex Andrade and State Rep. Michelle Salzman, but he did not ask for any additional state funding.
Broxson suggested at the time that Century might eventually give up its charter and let Escambia County take over.
“We know you are in tough circumstances. I would hope that at some point if things continue where it’s a challenge to meet your budget, that you would consider de-chartering Century so you could come under the umbrella of Escambia County and let them take their resources and help you with some of your major problems. I’ve watched it, “I know you’ve tried, but we really need a bigger hand to help you get to where you need to be,” the state senator said.
“Your tax base is very low, and your needs are very great,” Broxson told Gomez.
In-progress grant projects include:
Miscellaneous Wastewater Improvements – Phase I $1,042,036.99 CDBG,DEO and Escambia County
Lift station start-up at Industrial Park and some final electrical work is all that remains. Completion date 1-30- 2024.
Miscellaneous Wastewater Improvements – Phase II $8,862,336.00 FDEP
$21,305.00 spent to date, $8,841,031.00 remaining — Targeting bidding the project in the first quarter of 2024. will bill as two separate projects – WWTP work and lift Station work.
Well Rehabilitation (Well No. 1, 2, & 3) $468,453.00 State Legislature via FDEP
$77,226.25 spent to date, $77,226.25 — Permits submitted, bid opening planned for mid- January
Water Meter and Service Replacement $1,301,892.00 State Legislature via FDEP
$21,250.00 spent to date, $1,280,642 — Design underway, targeting bidding second quarter of 2024 as two projects, service line replacement and meter replacement
Carver Community Center and Century Ag Building $3,255,000 CDBG
Grant was to renovate the Carver Community Center and Century Ag Building. However, no work is being completed on the Century Community Center.
Freedom Road Bridge $1,297,000 State Legislature via FDOT
Grant received October 30, 2023. Survey and Geotechnical Investigation are underway. Wetland flagging has been completed.
Well #3 Replacement at Prison $626,000 State Legislature via FDEP
Survey and preliminary design completed.
Freedom Road Bridge, Jefferson Avenue Culvert, & Alger Road Bridge $2,869,637.00 CDBG Hurricane Sally Funds
Administrative and engineering consultants have been selected and contracts are being prepared. Once the state approves the contracts, work will begin.
Gym/Hurricane Shelter $10,022,500 CDBG Hurricane Sally Funds
Administrative and engineering consultants have been selected and contracts are being prepared. Once the state approves the contracts, work will begin.
Notes: CDGB = Community Development Block Grant. FDEP = Florida Department of Environmental Protection. FDOT=Florida Department of Transportation. DEO= Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “Century In The Midst of $30 Million In Grant Funded Projects”
REGARDING:
“Can you possibly imagine Century managing this amount of money.”
Yup. Sure can….
FIX the water system.
@sunspotuzzie How does a nose ring impede an employee’s ability to count and fill medication? Perhaps it’s more sanitary – can’t stick one’s finger as far up the nose when it hits a nose ring.
the town can sure use the money. problem is there is no one capable of looking at the needs. the money will be thrown at a wall for some useless scheme. repair streets, fix the water system. it appears we boil water a lot in century.
what does a nose ring have to do with the 30 million dollars discussed in the article?
Open mind for a different view.
MORE MONEY DOWN A RAT HOLE AND NO WAY TO BE ACCOUNT FOR IF
WE NEED our ROADS paved!!!! Use the money on useful repairs not nonsense!!!
As long as this sinking ship is funded by taxpayers these hammer heads will never allow the county to take over Century.Too good of a thing millions at a time,the fringe benefits have to be good off that kinda money.I need a loan before all of it is gone for the year.
The problem is too much money and not enough oversight. No one is held accountable for anything that happens in Century, Steal from the taxpayers? No problem, give lucrative contracts to your close friends? No problem. Give no bid taxpayer property deals to anonymous buyers? No problem. Appoint a mayor with no election or input from the citizens? No Freaking Problem. At this point I’m going to stop blaming the small-town corrupt politicians and start blaming those in our state government for lack of oversight.
What a poor job those leaders have done with all of that money and that town is a dump they should be ashamed of what they have done to the place they call home to the people they claim to serve and enrich.
Can you possibly imagine Century managing this amount of money.
there is nothing in century but a whatburger, (it be shut down soon like the burgerking), and a pigglywiggly/foodgiant, oh and the nosering loveing CVS (which i will no longer do my businesses there due to pharmacy employee wearing nose ring handling medicne), it be better to buy out and build a solar farm on top of century
Bulldoze it
Great! How many more unused community centers will that buy? Or maybe more churches that don’t pay taxes? Maybe we could blow it all on another failed industrial complex! It’s so exciting. I can’t wait
What a waste!!!
Wonder if anyone is going to try to keep an eye out for sticky fingers. This much money sounds like a disastrous outcome when we’ve already seen how the mayor and council “ blind leading the incompetent “ handle oversight. Those new Christmas tree lights as pretty as they were dang sure weren’t worth $1000.00 dollars a pop been said they spent 40 grand and got shorted one. I really wonder how big a flub up this will be.
$30 Million into a city that has been failing for years? For a city with barely 1200 residents? Exactly who is building this city for their future? Let me know when they break ground for a Castle.
Throwing money at problems with no accountability=failed projects
This approach is used by the Federal government in propping up certain 3rd world countries in particularly warm climates…..instead of good results the return on the investment are overthrow of governments by ambitious, incompetent politicians, political instability and poor governance….but you don’t have to go to Kinshasa to see these outcomes-just Go south of the AL FL state line to Century.