SNOWE HAILS SENATE PASSAGE OF FY 2010 TRANSPORTATION HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Washington, D.C. – September 17, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today announced that $4.3 million in federal funding for projects in Maine has been included in the fiscal year (FY) 2010 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill, which passed the Senate today by a vote of 73 to 25.

“With this funding announcement, it is clear the federal government has preserved a critical partnership with several Maine transportation and economic development initiatives,” said Senator Snowe. “By assisting with plans for these projects to move forward, much needed improvements can be made to help bolster the economy and create and retain good-paying jobs in these Maine communities.”

Senator Snowe announced funding for the following Maine projects:

Completion of Greenville Junction Warf – Greenville – $250,000
• This project would complete the Greenville Junction Wharf, including the construction of boat trailer parking, a handicapped-accessible boat launch, picnic tables and benches and composite wood cribbing to replace the rotting timbers.

Hogan Road Traffic Improvements  – Bangor – $550,000
• The Bangor Mall area has become a regional center for retail commerce, attracting new development to sites in the vicinity.  This funding will help make overdue traffic infrastructure improvements in the Bangor Mall area, to accommodate the rapid growth and development in the region.

Hybrid Construction Concrete Bridges – – $2,000,000
• University of Maine has developed advanced bridge technologies, including inflatable composite bridges and the HC Beam bridge that can that can be used throughout the U.S. and would be manufactured in Maine, creating hundreds of jobs.  This funding will be used to develop standard optimized designs that apply to a wide range of different spans; test these designs in a laboratory environment for both strength and durability; and obtain recognition by national bridge specifications in order to be specified anywhere in the US.
Restoration of Camden Yarns Mill—Lewiston- – $600,000
• Funds would go toward assisting efforts to restore the historic Camden Yarns Mill building in downtown Lewiston, a federally designated United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Enterprise Community in the Simard-Payne Park along the river front.
City of Lewiston’s ongoing efforts to revitalize its waterfront- $900,000
• This project will compliment the city’s new strategic plan which calls for the further enhanced redevelopment of the riverfront area as a mixed housing, mixed business, arts, and recreational area.  The city sees the restoration of the canals as another key element of the ongoing effort for the Bates Mill and the new strategic plan for the riverfront area.

Infrastructure Improvement at Height of Land – $2,900,000
• This project will facilitate the reconstruction of 1.1 miles of Route 17 and allow for the construction of a visitor turnout and pedestrian area at the legendary Height of Land on Mooselookmeguntic Lake.