The Sioux City Council on Monday approved the city’s application for a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation rural and tribal assistance pilot program.
The grant is for the Bacon Creek Channel redevelopment project, to restore it to a more natural state.
The program helps pay for initial stages of work on projects like environmental reviews, design, and planning, on projects that may later receive federal funding for construction.
There is $54.2 million available and the grants can be between $250,000 and $2.5 million.
The city applied for $2.5 million to cover costs for planning, engineering design, and public outreach for the Bacon Creek Channel project.
The total cost for the project is estimated at $3 million.
The initiative started in 2021 with an Environmental Protection Agency Study that suggested creating an open waterway, wetland habitat, and bike and pedestrian access.
