The city of Yazoo City will see a revitalization of the downtown area thanks to a multi-million dollar grant through Congressman Bennie Thompson and a federal program.
Thompson said the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $12,641,440 through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grants Program. Also known as the RAISE Grant Program, the city of Yazoo City has been awarded the $12.6 million dollars to be used in a variety of projects.
The funds will be used for the construction of a train station, development of a stormwater park to capture and absorb excessive stormwater and flooding, as well as “complete streets” redevelopment, which will include bike lanes, sidewalks, lighting, broadband infrastructure, and stormwater management along Main Street.
Mayor David Starling said he was ecstatic when he received the phone call from Thompson.
“I had no idea this would be about the RAISE grant,” Starling said. “I thought the call would pertain to a workshop that Mr. Thompson had recent held at Mississippi Valley State University. He said, ‘good morning mayor. Are you ready for some good news?’ Immediately, I thought we got a grant. I knew we would then be able to revitalize the downtown area.”
Starling said he thanked God first and then thanked Thompson for his involvement in securing the grant for Yazoo City.
“He shared with me that there was a lot of competition for this grant,” Starling said. “But he said people have noticed, and people are pleased with the leadership and direction of the city.”
Starling said the grant would be used solely to revitalize the downtown area of Yazoo City. But the recent award could lead to possibilities in other areas of the community.
“By receiving this award, it allow us to use other funds to work on other areas of our city that are in need of repair or our attention,” Starling said. “We are hopeful that this is not the only grant we will receive. We have been in communication with the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District and Rural Development, and we are working on plans to lobby for additional monies to improve Yazoo City overall, not just into our downtown area.”
Starling said the recent award is just another step in the right direction for Yazoo City. He believes that the current administration will keep several projects and goals in mind moving forward.
“We will continue to stay humble, thankful to God and continue to work,” he said. “We will continue to do what we asked the voters to vote for us for, bringing positive change to Yazoo City.”
Although the city is grateful for the recent award, Starling added that it will be a lengthy process. Based on the project schedule, the overall completion is slated for October of 2028. But over the course of the next six years, several guidelines will be completed to fully complete the project, including permit acquisitions, engineering plans, design development and construction phases.
