The Office of the Governor Brian P. Kemp recently announced recipients of, “preliminary grant awards totaling more than $225 million for 142 qualified projects that improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access in communities all across the state disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Awarded American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds go to eligible nonprofits and local governments to utilize in improving or maintaining recreational facilities in Qualified Census Tracts or for repair or maintenance needs due to significantly greater use of public facilities during the pandemic. The City of Canton was awarded $4.4M for two projects that include pedestrian bridge/sidewalk improvements at Canton Creek and funds for assisting with the development of South Canton Park — specifically its accessible playground equipment and a much-anticipated dog park. The maximum grant award was $2.2M, and the City of Canton was one of only three municipal governments to receive multiple maximum grant awards.

These state grants coincide with other recent grant awards including over $600,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a pedestrian bridge connecting the current expansion of the Etowah River Trail System back to the award-winning Mill on Etowah and Atlanta Regional Commission transportation funding for improvements on State Route 140 from Riverstone Parkway to Reinhardt College Parkway.