The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) today 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 percent 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.

MEPRD began accepting applications for its FY21 Park and Trail Grant Program on August 12. 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, seven of which are regional trail developments and six are park improvements. All FY21 Park and Trail Grant recipients are listed below, along with each corresponding project title, project type, and grant award.

Project Sponsor: Alton, City of
Project Title: Artificial Turf Improvements at Hopkins Field
Project Type: Park Improvement
MEPRD Grant: $300,000

Project Sponsor: Cahokia, Village of
Project Title: Cahokia Park – Surveillance Cameras and Emergency Call Stations
Project Type: Park Improvement
MEPRD Grant: $29,360

Project Sponsor: Edwardsville, City of
Project Title: Ice Complex Trail Connection
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $77,685

Project Sponsor: Godfrey, Village of
Project Title: Fred E. Widman Bike/Ped Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $300,000

Project Sponsor: Madison County Transit District
Project Title: MCT IT Beltline Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $300,000

Project Sponsor: Millstadt, Village of
Project Title: Millstadt Park – Fencing Ball Field #3
Project Type: Park Improvement
MEPRD Grant: $4,429

Project Sponsor: New Douglas, Village of
Project Title: New Douglas City Park Project
Project Type: Park Improvement
MEPRD Grant: $1,600

Project Sponsor: Shiloh, Village of
Project Title: Richland Creek Corridor Trail, Phase I
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $203,566

Project Sponsor: Smithton, Village of
Project Title: Pavilion Picnic Tables
Project Type: Park Improvement
MEPRD Grant: $8,052

Project Sponsor: St. Clair County Transit District
Project Title: Old Collinsville Road Trail, Phase III
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $300,000

Project Sponsor: St. Clair Township
Project Title: Loop Creek Park Improvements, Phase II
Project Type: Park Improvement|
MEPRD Grant: $134,120

Project Sponsor: Swansea, Village of
Project Title: Clinton Hills Conservation Park Lollipop Nature Trail
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $39,200

Project Sponsor: Troy, City of
Project Title: Tri‐Township Park Regional Trail Connector
Project Type: Trail Development
MEPRD Grant: $300,000

For additional information, to include detailed project scopes, visit the interactive table of projects and map of projects at www.meprd.org/projects.