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U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney (D., 11th) will be in Danville on Thursday for a happy occasion. The congressman will deliver a check for $200,000 of federal funding that he secured to be used toward the renovation of the Veterans Memorial Building on Hartz Avenue at Prospect in downtown Danville.
“Every year he submits funding requests for local organizations and this year was able to get the funds for Danville,” said Sarah Hersh, District 11 communications director in Washington, D.C. “It’s part of the regular appropriations process.”
The funds were allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
McNerney will present the check at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 7, to Mayor Mike Doyle and council members Karen Stepper, Newell Arnerich, Candace Andersen and Robert Storer as well as representatives of the Danville Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Blue Star Moms, Sentinels of Freedom and the Danville Veterans Memorial Building Board of Trustees. Bob Chipley will represent the Veterans Memorial Building Development Committee of San Ramon Valley, which requested the funds.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $7 million, and the Town of Danville has contributed $5 million. San Ramon Valley veterans groups are aiming to raise $3 million – $2 million toward construction with another $1 million for their furnishings and to establish a veterans endowment fund.
The current building plans are the result of a series of 12 public meetings held between December 2008 and August 2009; the total size of the building will double, from 6,300 to 12,792 square feet.
“We are planning to bid the project at the beginning of March, then award a contract and start construction beginning in June,” said Danville Town Manager Joe Calabrigo in an e-mail. “We will start to see activity on the site beginning this month with the tree removal.”
For more information, see the Town’s Web site, www.ci.danville.ca.us.
One wonders what “strings” are attached to the grant of the ” free” federal funds. You know there are some!
i would feel much more excited if I new the money wasn’t borrowed and that “givor” had no hidden agenda. This all feels “funny”
Federal money is taxpayer money. It is borrowed money and must be paid back by taxpayers like you and me. However, in the case of Federal money, the poor taxpayers in other states will get stuck with part of the bill. Why should people in Illinois, North Carolina, or Alabama be paying for our Veterans Memorial Building? Has Congressman McNerney no consideration, no compassion for the people who have to pay back this borrowed money?
It’s sad to see that the three first posters are so partisan that they view any action by a Democratic representative in a negative way. I be they would not have uttered a peep if Republican Pombo had got the money.
This is a correction to my previous grammatical disaster. I bet that these posters would not utter a peep if the money had been obtained by Representative Pombo
I am still so upset about cutting down the trees. Is there anything that can be done to avoid this happening??
I think this is a wonderful gesture on Congressman McNerney’s part, especially for our Veterans – it’s nice to see something positive in the New Year instead of such drab stories all the time. So sad for you naysayers…the cup isn’t always half empty!
I am wondering if I will be able to take a tax deduction for this facility, since the state is increasing my personal income tax and now I know what I am paying for! I don’t care who brought the money in to Danville, it is wrong to expect anybody other than those who will benifit from the facility to pay for it! There is too much unemployment, this project should not be a priority!
Congress allocates dollars across America, and many of the best projects get defined by the needs of local taxpayers who know what is needed now. The Veterans Memorial Building is 85 years old and does not have the rooms to deliver veteran resources. It has been our Senior Citizens Center since 1978, and yet it does not have activity rooms or acoustical improvements so that the seniors can “hear.” It a place for community awards and weddings, and yet the kitchen and oratory facilities are so deficient that it often sits empty. Please help us celebrate a wonderful new facility that will spur our struggling economy right in the middle of downtown.
In our valley, we pay out far more tax dollars then we receive. We have worked on this project with Jerry McNerney for several years and appreciate the return of these tax dollars to meet our local community needs.
Karen Stepper, Chair of Capital Campaign for Veterans Memorial Building, and Council Member.
The Veteran’s Memorial Building has served Danville and San Ramon Valley residents for many years. This facility has been named to honor Veterans but in reality has been a unique resource in the center of our town providing a place for all ages to learn, provide service, enjoy and participate in community. What an incredible opportunity to apply tax dollars to somewhere where there is something for everyone!
To AC Makely, “a resident of the Alamo neighborhood” – don’t you realize how partisan you’re reflexive reaction appears?
To Karen Stepper, “Chair of Capital Campaign for Veterans Memorial Building, and Council Member” – What part of broke and/or bankrupt don’t you understand?
Politicians slap themselves on the back for taking our tax money and distributing it as if they wrote the check out of their own bank accounts. This is only the tip of the iceberg of wasteful government spending that is sapping the economic engine of our country and leading to high unemployment amongst people who simply want to be self reliant and not beholding to politicians for handouts. I honor our Veterans, but why this and why now? Get people back to work, and maybe we can afford this.
This project – to rebuild this historic but decrepit veterans memorial building – will generate local work for a lot of people, and the people using the new facility will increase foot traffic in downtown Danville. That means more local shopping and more business revenue (and jobs) in the area. The building will be available for use by veterans, seniors and citizens throughout the San Ramon Valley. Sounds like a great use for our tax dollars.
Thanks, Jerry, for all your help for veterans. Thanks in particular for your assistance in getting additional VA benefits for my father-in-law, a Pearl Harbor Survivor (USS Nevada).
I am against 90% of the “pork & fat” the congress, which the nation elected, to represent us “adds” to various bills. Although, A “real construction project” which is “shovel-ready” and will “actually put people to work” in cour community is what our tax dollars are actually all about!
The other 90% for “turtle crossings” – “tatoo removal machines” – “study of bees” – “use of facebook” – “sexual habits of college students” – “highways & bridges to no where” – “airports with few or no travelers” and the worst: “down-right bribe & pay-off of Elected Congressional Representatives” – “funneling money to their states” – just to obtain “their vote” a certain way on a bill… This is what is really wrong! Congress gave millions upon millions to those “so-called” projects and YES… you paid for them! We should be upset and Danville has every right to get “something back for your / our tax dollars” – even obtaining a small amount to assist with construction for a building to assist the citizens and veterans in our community. I am against ALL pork… but I am not going to sit back and watch every other state and congressional district obtain funding from those currently elected officials in Washington – and get “nothing” when the veterans and community need to raise three million dollars to complete this memorial. This building is to “honor all those who gave each of us the right and freedom to be sending your personal viewpoint to the editor!” Freedom is not Free! All gave some… Some gave All! This new construction project is a “Veteran’s MEMORIAL Building” and members of the community should NEVER forget this… and ALWAYS “Honor” – appreciate and “Support” those who served and the building which honors them. I made my pledge to the new building campaign – have you?
We shouldn’t destroy historic Danville buildings.
We should build a new Vet’s building on a spot currently occupied by one of the many ugly 1970’s style building in town.
Let’s preserve the best parts of Danville.
This disappoints me. I’ll be sure to remember this when deciding whether to vote for Congressman McNerney and others involved in the decision to tear down Vet’s hall.