County among entities to receive ‘hardening program’ funds
Lee County will receive a portion of the $75 million that has been awarded to 30 communities through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s “Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program.” Administered by DEO, the program allows local governments to increase the resiliency of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local communities.
“While we continue to help communities recover from the impacts of major storms in recent years, we also need to prepare for future storms,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “This funding will be central to that preparation and make these communities more resilient.”
The funds are allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation program. The Lee County projects approved for funding include:
SHELTERS, RECOVERY CENTERS
– $4,560,000 to install new roll-down shutters, replace and harden the roof, and replace seals and windows of the Hertz Arena, which serves as a public shelter during a disaster
– $2,786,415 to harden and upgrade the roof structure for the Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University, which serves as a public shelter during a disaster.
WASTEWATER, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS
– $2,820,983 to harden several roofing systems and secure the HVAC systems of Lee County’s Waste to Energy facility