MoRIT awarded $20,000 grant to fund bridge rehabilitation work at Soap Creek, Old U.S. 50

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 2/5/20

BY ROXIE MURPHY

Republican Staff Writer

rmurphy@wardpub.com

 

Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc., (MoRIT) received a $20,000 grant Feb. 4 from the Rails-to-Trails …

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MoRIT awarded $20,000 grant to fund bridge rehabilitation work at Soap Creek, Old U.S. 50

Posted

BY ROXIE MURPHY

Republican Staff Writer

rmurphy@wardpub.com

 

Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc., (MoRIT) received a $20,000 grant Feb. 4 from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC) 2020 Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund to rehabilitate two trestles for the proposed 144-mile Rock Island Trail.

According to MoRIT Executive Director Greg Harris, the two trestles could open 43 miles of the trail to the public, while connecting Franklin, Gasconade, Maries and Osage counties.

“As far as we are concerned, $770,000  is what our projection costs to repurpose those two bridges — worst case scenario — if we paid full price with nothing donated. $770,000 isn’t much for 43 miles of a hiking and biking trail.”

The two trestles are located at Soap Creek beside Highway 28 southwest of Rosebud and the Old U.S. 50 bridge east of Gerald — all that is standing between 43 miles of open trail — and would connect the eastern part of the trail to St. Louis.

“The money can only go towards the bridge and trestle,” Harris said.

As executive director, Harris has plans to help decrease the cost of the two structures, but the point is moot until Missouri State Parks fully accepts the gift of the corridor from Ameren Missouri. The interim trail use agreement over the next two years is contingent on the Hartsook Foundation raising $9.8 million in unrestricted funds for trail maintenance for a 10-year period.

“This donation does not count towards the contingent $9.8 million,” Harris said. “It would count as part of the $10 million they are trying to raise for construction.”

Harris applied for the RTC grant January 2019, before the group knew about the contingent acceptance of the corridor, which was announced Dec. 17 in Eldon. While $20,000 isn’t nearly enough to complete the project, Harris said he has hopes for the other two Rails-to-Trails Program (RTP) grants that could add up to as much as $500,000. And, donated steel and other tax incentives could decrease the overall project costs.

“We agreed by accepting the check that we will report by Oct. 31, 2020, how we either spent the money or it’s about to be spent,” Harris said about the Doppelt grant. “If things are not happening by then, we will need to renegotiate with Rails-to-Trails or refund the money. That’s the worst case scenario.”

Harris said he received a grant award letter soon after Missouri State Parks announced they would accept the corridor on contingent.

“We are excited, on top of the interim trail use agreement and the Rock Island Trail Endowment Fund, we are in a better position than we ever have been. It’s a team effort to make this thing a reality,” Harris said.

MoRIT was one of six entities chosen out of 170 applicants nationwide to receive $100,000 in investment grants to fund projects with critical gaps. The Rock Island Trail is expected to connect to the Katy Trail State Park, to create a 450-mile loop with an annual impact surpassing $18 million per year, according to RTC.

“We have gotten donations of some steel, it would reduce the cost of the project,” Harris said. “I don’t know if a construction company might want to do a discount construction. As a nonprofit, either us or Missouri State Parks for that matter, may get the companies to do a bargain sale, part gift, part purchase, for a tax deduction if they discount it.”

Grant-funding opportunities

“If State Parks awards RTP and Water Conservation Fund grants — if we applied for and were granted those, they award up to $250,000 per project,” Harris said. “One fund has over $1.5 million a year awarded, the other is $3.1 million a year. Those are most obvious grant fund sources out there and would make (the project) very doable.

“If (we are) able to get two grants, that would put us up to $500,000 right there and we have already gotten some commitments from donors,” Harris added. “We just need State Parks to fully accept the corridor and sign-up to have us fully taking the trail now.”

The Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund was established in 2015 with funding from philanthropist Jeff Doppelt of Great Neck, N.Y., and an anonymous donor. The Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund has awarded well over a half-million dollars in vital grants to nonprofits and government agencies in 25 states to strengthen critical regional trail projects.

“This year’s projects will deliver a lasting return on investment for decades within their communities,” said Doppelt. “The Rails-to-Trails movement is gaining momentum across the country, and these projects are leading the way as examples of regional trail projects that can spark community transformation.”

“When I wrote that grant request, we said the biggest challenge is the bridges,” Harris said. “If you can whittle away at that, the rest is easy. The corridor is walkable now, we don’t have to improve it, just maintain it.”

This year’s recipients all offer leading visions for improved connectivity, mobility, health and social equity through trail development, according to the RTC.