MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $400,000 in federal COVID Relief Funds to the city of Gadsden.

The grant is part of the $40 million in Community Development Block Grant funds allocated to Alabama under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“This and other grants will go a long way in providing needed support to our communities,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these funds to the city of Gadsden.”

Gov. Ivey notified Mayor Sherman Guyton that the grant had been approved.

"This grant will benefit the citizens of Gadsden through the Senior Wellness Center, and I want to thank Gov. Ivey, ADECA and the legislators and officials who helped obtain this funding," Guyton said.

Gadsden will use the funds as part of an overall project to build a multi-purpose building on the site of the old Elliot Community Center. The new building, in addition to being used when needed as a resource center for COVID or other infectious diseases, will also be used as a senior citizen center.

During the original grant cycle last summer, some local governments in Alabama opted not to apply or submitted applications for projects that were not eligible. The grant to Gadsden is from an unspent portion of those original funds, which were made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant.

“As the administering agency for these grants, ADECA’s goal has been to see that local governments apply for projects that will best benefit their residents and, if at all possible, have a lifespan beyond this pandemic,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in supporting this project for the city of Gadsden.”

ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.