Buena Vista City Council on July 16 approved a resolution appropriating $782,637 in carryover funds from the previous fiscal year to pay for five different projects that were not completed in fiscal year 2026.
The city is moving forward with environmental assessment and remediation planning activities associated with the former Bontex property utilizing a $50,000 grant awarded through the Virginia Brownfield Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund that’s administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
The project was anticipated to include a local match provided by the property owner but as project conditions evolved, the project team identified an alternative match source through a previously awarded DEQ Technical Assistance Grant. These funding sources support the city’s ongoing work to prepare the former Bontex property for future investment, redevelopment and economic revitalization.
A second project requiring the appropriation of funds in the new fiscal year is the Virginia Department of Transportation- funded streetscape improvements in downtown. The $906,000 project is completed but expenditures and reimbursements are extending into FY27, necessitating the payment of $160,121. This is a reimbursement grant program so funds must be expended first before reimbursements can be received.
A third project is the remaining expenditures of $17,538 for Magnolia Square. The remaining funding comes from a combination of local and fundraising dollars.
A fourth project is design work associated with the replacement of a failing culvert at Sixth Street and Woodland Avenue. Total estimated cost is $129,800, with a Community Flood Preparedness Fund grant award covering 90 percent, or $117,000, of the costs. Once the design is completed, the city will be eligible for grant funding to complete the actual construction of the culvert/ bridge.
A fifth item requiring appropriation of funds in the new fiscal year is the Community Development Block Grant Downtown Revitalization Project. The $1.23 million project is largely completed but invoices estimated at $425,178 for goods and services are to be processed and paid in fiscal year 2027. This is a reimbursement grant program so city funds must be expended before the city is reimbursed.
