MT. VERNON – The Mt. Vernon City Council approved exploring options to applying for an economic development grant for improvements on Fountain Place Drive at Monday night’s meeting.

According to City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel, improvements were part of the agreement with Manner Polymers to locate their new facility in Mt. Vernon.

Bechtel says Illinois Department of Transportation offers grant funding up to $1.8 million that the city could apply for on improvements in that area, but she recommended hiring Gonzalez Companies to develop three separate scenarios for improvements before applying.

The first scenario would cover road improvements on Fountain Place Drive from Circle Drive to the Manner Polymers property, while the second scenario would include improvements from Industrial Drive to the Manner property and include storm water improvements, and the third scenario would include pavement and storm water improvements from Woodland Drive to Industrial Drive.

Bechtel suggested having Gonzalez give them cost estimates for all three scenarios at a cost of $53,000.

Bechtel says the city would have to pay $900,000 toward any improvements and then anything over the grant funded amount.

Also approved at Monday night’s meeting was the closure from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday of Logan Street between Beverly Heights and 26th for the Annual Hands Up Summit and during those same hours the closure of Lamar Avenue between 19th Street and 21st Street for a backpack giveaway.