The Department of Economic Development awarded a total of $609,150 to the City of Wellsville for its street project through the Community Development Block Grant Program’s Fiscal Year 2025 Competitive Cycle to assist with various improvement projects.

DED awarded a total of more than $16.7 million to 35 cities, four counties and four villages throughout Missouri. Wellsville was the only Montgomery County community to receive a DED grant.

“We have gotten grants before for our water and sewer lines,” City of Wellsville clerk Brittany Bishop said. “In the three years I’ve been here, this is the first DED grant we have ever gotten. We had an USDA Rural Development Grant for a police vehicle, but other than that, we haven’t been awarded any other grant.”

Grants are awarded to 43 projects ranging from street and roadway repairs, demolition, stormwater and drainage improvements and construction of new public facilities.

“We’re proud to support communities all across our state through the Community Development Block Grant Program,” Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said in a statement. “Every grant awarded is addressing critical needs, including public safety, while making communities stronger. We look forward to the positive results that the CDBG Program helps achieve by providing more secure foundations for success.”

The grant will help the City of Wellsville upgrade its streets and storm drainage for better accessibility, durability, safety and efficiency. The streets that need improvements are Clay, Water, Romaker and First streets. The Board of Aldermen went through an extensive process to evaluate the condition and need of all of the streets.

According to a preliminary engineering report that was made by Lewis-Bade, Inc. of Warrenton, Clay and Water are heavily traveled streets, while Romaker and First streets have the most restrictive widths for two-way traffic. 

Casey’s General Store is located next to Clay Street. Students from Wellsville-Middletown High School would stop there as well as other customers for food and gas, making the street more traveled.

“I know for sure that the street (Clay) between and the Depot is on (the report). It’s a section where it holds water pretty bad and the Casey’s truck enters,” Bishop said. “They tore it pretty bad and it holds water. You know what water does to streets. It tears it up.”

Small cities such as Wellsville and counties receive federal funding from the CDBG to help improve infrastructure and support community facilities.

“The CDBG Program is an invaluable resource for communities and an important way we help Missourians prosper,” said Michelle Hataway, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “Each project made possible by CDBG, whether large or small, is increasing capacity for economic growth that changes lives for the better.”