County board OKs grants for USF, Illinois Extension

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Moustis

Updated: February 10, 2012 8:06AM

JOLIET — The Will County Board recently threw its support behind two programs that will help revitalize downtown Joliet and educate county residents.

The two grants totaling $75,000 are funded through a host agreement that Will County has with Waste Management and will not include any taxpayer funding.

“Both of these projects are important to the education, tourism, culture and the work force in Will County,” said Chairman Jim Moustis. “The fact that we can award this money to two valuable programs at no cost to our constituents makes this a win-win situation.”

The board awarded a one-time grant of $50,000 to the University of St. Francis for the development of an art gallery in Joliet that will have both economic and cultural development benefits for the region.

USF has been a fixture in Will County since 1920 and relocated its Art and Design Department to the Rialto Square Theatre complex in downtown Joliet in 2009.

The art gallery is the next stage of the university’s plan and will be located on the corner of Van Buren and Scott streets.

A $25,000 grant awarded to the Illinois Extension will help provide educational services and programs countywide in the areas of agriculture, community resource development, 4-H/Youth, Home Economics and Horticulture.

The extension program underwent a reorganization in July 2011 that put Will County into a unit with Grundy and Kankakee counties. Because of this reorganization, the three counties are able to share resources and effectively quadruple the educational opportunities available to Will County residents.