PUEBLO, CO — Improvements are headed to the west side of Pueblo as significant development grants will see new infrastructure projects beginning in 2023.
The City of Pueblo received sixteen million dollars in development grants from the Federal Government.
The money will be used to build new roads and buildings, along with improving bus routes and stops on the west side.
"This project will help improve the transit and transportation connectivity for people who live on the west side right now it can be a challenge for folks who live downtown and this project addresses a number of issues that will improve their access," says Andrew Hayes of Pueblo Public Works.
The funds will also potentially be used to continue the completion of a new aquatic center set to be built on Pueblo's southwest side although this has not been confirmed due to the Aquatic center being a separate project entirely from the West Side Connection Project.
Currently, the new aquatic center fund has pooled three million dollars of the nine million needed to complete the project.
The three million was already collected through tax revenue. In 2016, voters decided to allocate their excess revenue for the development of the new aquatic center.
At this stage, the district is almost done with the design stage of the facility, "to know that we are this far along in the design phase and working towards how we make that a reality is a very exciting time for our community" says Brian Castera Chief Administrator of Pueblo West Metro District.
The district plans on allocating some of the government funds, relying on private donors, and applying for more grants to secure the other six million dollars needed for the Aquatic center.
Pueblo Public Works and the city of Pueblo expect to break ground on these projects in 2023.
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