Town Pursues Million Dollar Grant

During a recent Town Hall meeting (on Tuesday, October 11, 2022) the Mayor and Council of the Town of Capitol Heights outlined plans to move the town forward by endeavoring to significantly improve town infrastructure. More specifically, the Town is going after a grant. The grant is valued at north of one million dollars. If successful, the funds will be used to revitalize Old Central Avenue.

"I am looking forward to seeing some real change in the Town, we've got to move the town forward," said Mayor Linda Monroe. Mayor Monroe, the town council, the town staff, and one of the town's vendors aggressively pursued the $1.7 million dollar grant. The window of time to apply for the grant was small. The grant was offered by the Federal government, Department of Transportation. The Town Administrator, Beverly Habada, was hopeful. "It's a large Federal level grant and the Town has a chance at it." Before accepting the role of Town Administrator, she actually worked for the town as its grant writer; however, with this level of grant, the Town needed further support. "I haven't written a grant this size since the 80s," said Town Administrator.

A staff person, working in Delegate Jazz Lewis' office, Maya Fontheim, recommended to Mayor Monroe an experienced grant writer, Kevin Bellamy, who has large grant writing experience. After a vote of the council, the town decided it would pay for the writer's services. Due to the last-minute nature of this grant project, his fees were around the tune of $7000 (double what it would be under normal circumstances). If the Town is successful with securing the grant, the writer's fees will prove well-worth the investment. Furthermore, his fees would be absorbed by the grant and therefore reimbursed. Mayor Monroe and the town council are optimistic that the town "...is about to do something big and make real change to benefit town residents. The project will include beautification efforts, like landscaping, widening of the streets, installation of a bike lane, renovation/removal of unsightly properties--and even town expansion by way of annexation," said Mayor Monroe. "We are going in the right direction."

Previous Town administrations have also reimagined Old Central Avenue as the town's new and improved downtown area. It is exciting to think that Mayor Monroe's administration is about to get it done.