Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Borger wins $5 million grant to build Bulldog Loop sidewalks; city to front costs and seek reimbursement
Summary
City Manager Gary Scally told the Borger City Council the Bulldog Loop project was recommended for $5,000,000 in state funding for fiscal 2027–28 to build sidewalks, a pedestrian bridge and a roughly 1.5-mile loop connecting Johnson Park, the youth center, the dome and nearby sidewalks; the city will front construction costs and seek full reimbursement with no local match required.
City Manager Gary Scally told the Borger City Council on Nov. 18 that the Bulldog Loop sidewalk project has been recommended for funding in the state’s 2027–28 fiscal year. “It’s a $5,000,000 grant,” Scally said, adding that federal tax credits and program economics mean the city will not owe a matching share.
The project would build sidewalks and bike paths around Johnson Park and Bulldog Boulevard, connect Cedar Street to the state's new sidewalks on Cedar Street and replace a small pedestrian bridge that leads from the grassy area to the youth center. Scally said the finished route will form roughly a 1.5-mile closed loop and include signage and a new pedestrian bridge.
Scally explained the city will pay construction costs up front and submit expenses for reimbursement: “Now we will have to pay the cost of the whole project and then submit for reimbursement, but we will be reimbursed for all expenses,” he said. He said the council will likely include the project in the fiscal 2028 budget planning because the grant is for the 2027–28 state fiscal year.
The council heard that the Bulldog Loop project was identified in the parks, trails and recreation master plan completed in 2020 and that the city applied in previous years as well. Scally described the award as a major win for downtown connectivity and for pedestrian and bicycle access to the youth center, stadium and adjacent neighborhoods.
Next steps: staff said they will continue planning and budgeting work and return to council with project scheduling and budget details as the grant moves from recommendation to award and design.
