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Smithville seeks MARC grant funding for Eagle Parkway trail and Commercial Avenue streetscape
Summary
City staff told the Board the city submitted MARC grant applications for a one-mile Eagle Parkway Trail (Phase One ~ $2 million) and a 2.2-mile Streetscape Phase Four on Commercial Avenue (~ $1.5 million); both projects assume an 80% grant/20% local match and await scoring results in June with final recommendations in January 2027.
Assistant to the Public Works Director Mayra Toothman told the Smithville Board of Aldermen the city has submitted applications to the MARC grant cycle for fiscal years 2029 and 2030 and is now waiting for initial scoring results expected in June.
Toothman said the first proposed project, the Eagle Parkway Trail, is an initial one-mile, 10-foot-wide trail on the west side of Eagle Parkway from 180th Street to 188th Street designed to close sidewalk gaps and improve pedestrian access to the elementary school. Phase One is estimated at about $2 million; staff intends to request grant funding for 80% and cover the remaining 20% locally. She also noted a potential crosswalk to help nearby residents access the trail and a longer-term second phase that would extend north and east to connect with Clay County trails.
The second proposed project, Streetscape Phase Four, would rehabilitate Commercial Avenue from Church Street to East Meadows. The plan includes replacement or rehabilitation of sidewalks, milling and overlay of the street surface, installation of ADA-compliant ramps where needed, tree plantings, and stormwater-infrastructure upgrades including new drop inlets. That phase covers roughly 2.2 miles, would install five-foot sidewalks to match downtown standards and carries an estimated cost of about $1.5 million, with staff planning to request an 80% grant and cover the 20% local match.
Toothman framed both projects as part of a strategic push to improve accessibility, connectivity and safety. She reminded the Board that MARC’s tentative timeline means final funding recommendations would not be issued until January 2027, and that staff will need to complete full applications in the next phase if initial scoring is favorable.
Board members thanked staff for proactively seeking grant funding and asked staff to continue planning and coordination while the grant process proceeds.
