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Federal coordinator: Agency is prepared to offer support ‘while remaining focused on moving the island’s recovery efforts forward’

SAN JUAN — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3) have obligated an additional $18.7 million in funds for 146 projects related to the recovery and reconstruction of Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane season.

Funding for permanent work includes projects like roads, bridges, water control,buildings and equipment, utilities and park and recreation facilities as authorized under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.

FEMA works with COR3 through the agency’s Public Assistance program to obligate recovery funds to private nonprofit organizations, municipalities and government agencies for expenses related to hurricanes Irma and María.

The agency said it remains focused on Puerto Rico’s recovery and on approving funds for permanent work projects despite the social distancing and self-quarantine measures on the island to slow the spread of the new coronavirus disease.

“We have taken the necessary precautions to preserve our workforce and with over 92 percent of our staff being local, we are prepared to support the Government of Puerto Rico during this time while remaining focused on moving the island’s recovery efforts forward,” said the federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Alex Amparo.

The latest grants, obligated between March 7 and March 19, are as follows:

Over $8 million for repairs to roads and bridges.

Nearly $4 million for repairs to parks and recreational facilities.

Nearly $3 million for emergency protective measures.

Over $2.6 million for repairs to public buildings and equipment.

Over $1 million for debris removal.

Over $62,700 for public utilities.

Over $19,400 to municipalities and government agencies for administrative costs.

In FEMA’s release, COR3 Executive Director Ottmar Chávez commented that “despite having to modify our way of doing business during this time, we have taken the necessary measures to continue our work, especially maintaining constant communications and leveraging every technological tool at our disposal so as not to interrupt the recovery process. The team at COR3 is committed and dedicated to ensuring projects are developed and funds are obligated.”

Included in these obligations is more than $1 million for repairs to several roads and a bridge in Yauco. Over $850,000 was approved for repairs to the Ají Road located in Barrio Duey and another $107,000 was awarded to address hurricane-related damage to the El Chapulín bridge in Barrio Barinas. Nearly $60,000 was obligated as well for architecture and engineering design costs for repairs to other roads and for culvert replacement.

“These obligations are very important for Yauco. This will help us offer better access to our communities. Right now, this is of great help to our city,” said the mayor of Yauco, Luigi Torres.

Among the obligations for repairs to public buildings are over $508,000 for repairs to the Guayama Theatre located in the town square. The work includes replacing carpets and seats on the mezzanine as well as repairs to dressing rooms, the lobby area, main theatre room, roof and entrance. A total of more than $7.9 million has been obligated to the municipality so far, representing 23 projects that address hurricane-related damage to roads, bridges, public buildings and recreational facilities and other work.

To date, nearly $6.5 billion has been approved for Puerto Rico under FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

In long-term, low-interest loans of up to $50 million that are partially forgivable for commercial, mixed-use and infrastructure developments

SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico Housing Secretary William Rodríguez announced Thursday that as part of the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action plan, the Economic Development Investment Portfolio for Growth (IPG) program’s first phase has been started. It consists of receiving the intention to participate from interested entities.

The program establishes the funding of projects that significantly impact and enable the long-term economic growth and sustainability of the island, the department says, adding that it “will also have the capacity to be a funding stream for projects determined by the central government to be key drivers for Puerto Rico’s new economy in alliance with the economic recovery plan.”

The program provides long-term, low-interest loans of up to $50 million that are partially forgivable for commercial, mixed-use and infrastructure developments.

“My commitment is to promote the reconstruction of a stronger and more resilient Island, but above all to accelerate the growth of the local economy. We are working with a great sense of urgency to allocate CDBG-DR funds to foster economic development and combat business divestment, business closures, and the outmigration of workers from all sectors that Puerto Rico had been experiencing and was aggravated by hurricanes Irma and María,” the secretary said.

The IPG Program has been allocated $800 million in the Puerto Rico CDBG-DR Action Plan, as amended.

The IPG Program intends to award gap funding for large-scale commercial and industrial development in a broad-ranging category of activities that cover a wide variety of economic revitalization initiatives. This may include but is not limited to the development/redevelopment of Commercial Developments, Mixed-use Developments and Infrastructure Development in support of an economic development investment.

As a preliminary process for the IPG Program, interested entities are asked to submit an Expression of Interest and provide a high-level description of their economic development project.

The IPG will accept applications in two phases: an Expression of Interest and a Full Application.

In the Expression of Interest phase, applicants must provide Housing with a general description of the proposed project, the preliminary budget and other details of the project. Entities with eligible expressions of interest will then be invited to submit a full application to the program in several phases.

The number of stages will be determined by aligning the economic priorities identified by Housing with the universe of eligible projects submitted during the Expression of Interest phase. The agency will determine and notify of said stages and the calendar for the application and delivery periods to the entities invited to submit a complete application.

“Puerto Rico is experiencing its best moment today, the table is set for the most comprehensive reconstruction of our history. Billions of dollars in federal funds that will allow us to modernize all of our infrastructure, significantly improving the quality of life of this and the next generations of Puerto Ricans. We are all called upon to contribute and be part of this gigantic project to build the Puerto Rico that we all want and deserve,” the Secretary-Designate of the Economic Development and Commerce Department, Manuel Cidre, said in the media release.

The IPG Program is for large-scale development projects that are transformative in nature and create or retain low-to-moderate income jobs or cascading economic impacts.

Eligible entities for IPG include: For-profit Businesses, Not-for-profit Organizations, Community-based Economic Development Organizations, Community Development Financial Institutions, Units of General Local Government/Government of Puerto Rico Agencies, Authorities, Trusts, and Boards and Public-Private Partnerships.

Entities can submit their interest in participating at www.cdbg-dr.pr.gov on or before April 3. Housing will issue requests for additional information or clarification, as necessary.

(Source: https://caribbeanbusiness.com/puerto-rico-housing-dept-800-million-in-cdbg-dr-funds-available/)

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FEMA Obligates Over $18.7 Million for 146 Projects Related to Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Recovery

Federal coordinator: Agency is prepared to offer support ‘while remaining focused on moving the island’s recovery efforts forward’

Puerto Rico Housing Dept.: $800 Million in CDBG-DR Funds Available

In long-term, low-interest loans of up to $50 million that are partially forgivable for commercial, mixed-use and infrastructure developments