The proposed Progressive Foundry expansion took up around half of this week’s Perry City Council meeting agenda, and it appears as though the project will move forward.

One specific item that has garnered attention is the vacation of 2nd Street between Bateman and Rawson, where the Foundry plans to build a new facility. Though there has been concerns raised by citizens to Council members since the project was proposed, when it came down to it no one spoke against the road vacation during the public hearing on the matter. As such, the Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to vacate the road, and will have the second and third readings at a later date.

Of course, the vacation of 2nd Street is just one piece of the puzzle the City is piecing together in that area. Another aspect involves the roads around the Foundry, specifically Bateman Street. To that end, the Council approved an application for a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant, which City Administrator Sven Peterson says would kickstart the renovation of Bateman between 1st and 4th streets. “The road and infrastructure is worn down as it is, and it’s pretty narrow which makes it hard for the neighborhood traffic and that industrial traffic to kind of mix. So hopefully we’ll be widening that road out and allowing for a little bit more ease of travel on the Bateman corridor. (We’re) probably looking at construction in 2020 if we are awarded that grant.”

Peterson says the entire project cost is estimated to be $2.1 million, and the RISE grant would cover around $1.7 million. The remainder would be paid through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds. To learn more about this and other City of Perry topics, listen to this past Wednesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.