FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Contact: John Fougere
Tuesday, February 10, 2009                                 (573) 522-5058

City of Kirksville awarded $250,000 Community Development Block Grant by Department of Economic Development

KIRKSVILLE - The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) today announced that the city of Kirksville has been approved for a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The grant will be utilized to renovate the historic Cochran Building in downtown Kirksville.

Kirksville is a Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri (DREAM) community.

The Cochran Building, built circa 1880, is one of only a very few remaining warehouse-style buildings built along the old Wabash Rail Line in the late 19th century. The building served as a premier buggy, surrey and wagon supplier and ultimately sold the first automobile in Adair County. It later served as a warehouse where agricultural goods were purchased from local farmers, sold to suppliers and shipped out via rail.

The Kirksville Downtown Design Guidelines and the DREAM Initiative have identified a need for more upper-level residential units as well as further updated retail locations. The Cochran Building Renovation Project will accomplish all of these and its completion will positively impact the area by providing additional patrons to the downtown district.

The CDBG program, administered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, provides grants and loan funds to cities with a population under 50,000 and counties under 200,000 to assist in a variety of public works and economic development projects.