AUSTIN – Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush is pleased to announce that Jefferson County has completed construction on the $2.7 million Jefferson County Health Facility funded from Hurricane Ike Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. This new facility will house a Jefferson County Public Health Department Clinic and the Jefferson County Adult Probation satellite office at 860 4 th Street in Port Arthur, Texas. An opening ceremony for the new facility was held on last week.
"Recovery from a natural disaster such as Hurricane Ike requires long-term planning and coordination," said Commissioner Bush. "The GLO is proud to team with our partners in Jefferson County to consider not only how to recover from a disaster, but also mitigate future damage using preventative measures and infrastructure. Planning ahead results in less recovery resources that will be needed in the future."
The building is fully functional with all necessary interior finishes befitting a health clinic with added security features. The facility benefits the 8,286 low to moderate income patients served by the Jefferson County Public Health Department in the Port Arthur Clinic. Because of cost savings on other CDBG-DR projects, the remaining funds were consolidated to add the Jefferson County Health II Facility project to their grant. The grand opening ceremony for this facility is scheduled for May 25, 2016, at 10am.
In addition to this vital project, Jefferson County added many other critical infrastructure projects, improvements, and repairs with their $29 million CDBG-DR allocation. These projects include elevated water storage tanks and water lines, windstorm- certified buildings, road and bridge improvements, flood and drainage facility improvements, solar panels with battery backup systems, lift stations, replacement of roof structures, and communication and fire truck equipment. These projects benefit thousands of citizens across Jefferson County and are a testament to the county leadership's commitment to continued improvement and recovery from Hurricane Ike.
About GLO Community Development and Revitalization
The Community Development & Revitalization program of the Texas General Land Office administers, on behalf of the State of Texas, Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Texas was allocated $3.1 billion for hurricanes Ike and Dolly and $36.3 million as a result of the 2011 wildfires.
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