The Newspaper of Record since 1878
A pair of grant awards totaling $185,000 will help the City of Globe to preserve and improve two of the city’s attractions – one centuries old and the other newly restored. During their November 14 meeting, the Globe City Council approved the awards.
The first grant, in the amount of $160,000 from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Community Investment Fund, will be used to preserve the pueblo exhibit at Besh Ba Gowah Archaeological Park and Museum. With it comes a community volunteerism component, to promote the exhibit’s educational aspects and source river rock and clay locally.
The second grant came from the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), which awarded the City $25,000. The funds will be used to build a community kitchen/concession stand at the re-opened Community Center Pool, which concluded its first “new” season in October after some 14 years of being closed.
The Freeport grant included a $32,500 match from the City. Half of the amount, $16,225, is due in fiscal year 2024. Funds for its payment will be transferred between City accounts, from Economic Development First Friday to Economic Development Capital Outlay-Construction. The rest of the match, due in fiscal year 2025, will be included in that year’s city budget. No match was required in the ACF grant.
The City Council also authorized a final payment of $226,976 to Structural Preservation Systems LLC, the contractor engaged to rehabilitate the pool. This reflected a $63,250 liquid damages credit on the $290,226 payment, under a settlement agreement with Structural. Construction delays during the project triggered the damages, in the amount of $126,500. However, City staff reported that Structural “resolved various unplanned construction modifications to the project that benefited the City.” City staff believed that a 50% split of the damages, for $63,250, was in both parties’ best interest.
