United States Congressman Paul Ryan and USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director, Stan Gruszynski, joined the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Community Development Authority of the Village of Darien; along with village leaders, for a ribbon cutting ceremony today to celebrate the completion of construction of the Village of Dairen’s new municipal building.
Located in the historic downtown business district, the new building now houses both the Village offices and the Village police department.
“I would like to commend those local officials and community leaders who worked to bring this proposal to reality. The result is a safe, modern, community facility for village business, community events, and public use,” said Stan Gruszynski, USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director. “It stands as a sensible and practical example of the importance of initiative, cooperation, and federal appropriations toward making positive difference in the function of local government and the citizens served by their action.”
Previously, the Village of Darien’s administrative and police offices were located in two separate buildings, both 70-plus years old and in need of significant upgrades. By consolidating the Village Hall and Police Department into one expanded facility, the village will experience both cost and efficiency savings. The construction project included a remodel of the village-owned building; demolition of several old, vacant adjacent buildings; and the construction of a new addition. The completion of new Village Hall will help to revitalize the downtown area and the community.
“This is the perfect combination of government working for the people. This is the first investment for our historical downtown redevelopment program. The Village of Darien purchased this property ten years ago with hopes of building a Municipal Building. After years of saving, and the help of WEDC and the USDA Rural Development program, this is nothing short of a dream come true for our residents. We could not have funded this project without their assistance,” said Diana Dykstra, Executive Director of the Community Development Authority of the Village of Darien.
“We are pleased to support Darien in a project that not only provides a more efficient and modern municipal building, but also has the potential to spur future development downtown,” said Reed Hall, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development agency. “This project is special to me because Darien was the first community to receive one of our Community Development Investment Grants, a program that has since benefited dozens of communities around the state.”
In the process the State Historical Preservation Office determined the location of the Village’s municipal building to be a site of historical significance. The Village of Darien is applying to have the downtown area listed as a historic district on the Register of Historic places for the State of Wisconsin and the National Register of Historic Places.
The Community Development Authority of the Village of Darien received a $1,473,000 Community Facilities Direct Loan from USDA Rural Development and a $50,000 Community Development Investment Grant from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). The Community Development Investment Grant was a new program launched in 2013 and the Village of Darien was the first community to receive this Grant.
USDA Rural Development’s Community Facility Programs provides financial assistance for the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Loans, guarantees and grants are available to public entities for the construction, purchase, and/or renovation of various essential community facilities. These facilities include schools, libraries, childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation projects.
USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Wisconsin. Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested nearly $4.5 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Wisconsin families. Each year more than 100 rural communities in Wisconsin receive assistance from USDA Rural Development for community-improvement and public-safety projects..
USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As the lead federal agency for rural development needs, USDA Rural Development returned over $832 million dollars this past year to rural Wisconsin communities. Funds are used to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technological infrastructures. Further information on USDA Rural Development programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting the web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi.