Carlisle awarded $5 million grant for infrastructure

“We’re thrilled to receive the grant and honored that the Department of Transportation felt our project was worthy of funding,” said Matt Candland, Carlisle borough manager. “The money will help enormously in completing critical transportation projects that we need to complete to facilitate the development of the IAC and Tire and Wheel sites. This is great news.”

The money is expected to be used for the Carlisle Connectivity Transportation Initiative, which is part of the Carlisle Urban Redevelopment Plan that aims to develop several industrial sites in the northwestern portion of the borough.

This isn’t Carlisle’s first go-around with TIGER funds.

Last November, then Assistant Borough Manager Debra Figueroa, an integral driver for the borough’s redevelopment projects, said officials were disappointed after learning they did not receive a $12 million TIGER Grant.

Candland said last year’s setback did little to sack the hopes of officials.

“We’ve always felt we had an outstanding project. Our expectations have been high each year we applied,” he said. “That was no different his year. We believe the potential for those sites is enormous.”

Funds from the grant will also be used to fix dangerous and failing intersections and to construct complete streets, Casey said in a written statement.

“This award is critical to the Borough of Carlisle’s economy,” Casey said in his statement. “The ‘Carlisle Connectivity’ initiative will create jobs and make important improvements to the region’s infrastructure that are long overdue. I’ll continue to support efforts to ensure we’re investing in and improving community development here and across Pennsylvania.”