McEachin Submits 15 Requests to the House Appropriations Committee

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) announced the Community Project Funding (CPF) requests that he submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) appropriations process.

“Our district experienced great success with last year’s Community Project Funding requests, and I was able to successfully secure over $19 million for Virginia’s Fourth. I am thrilled to announce the next round of submissions for the upcoming appropriations process,” said Rep. McEachin (VA-04). “These projects are important priorities for localities across our district and will make a meaningful, real impact in the lives of Virginians. While there is no guarantee that all the requests will be funded, I will be diligently fighting for these priorities and engaging with the House Appropriations Committee throughout the process. I look forward to advocating for our district in Washington and working to secure much-needed federal funding for these projects.”

Rep. McEachin submitted the following 15 requests to the committee, grouped by geographic location or recipient category:

The Greater Richmond Area

• City of Richmond’s Help1RVA to help further establish and scale Help1RVA, a one-stop shop for social services in Central Virginia, as the region’s primary social needs navigation service. Funding will support technology and staffing for YMCA to be the backbone of Help1RVA and allow the City of Richmond to hire an Information and Data Integration Consultant to align the program with existing technology.
• City of Richmond’s First North-South Bus Rapid Transit Line to kickstart Richmond’s efforts to create a North-South line of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), also known as the “Pulse.” This project would fund the planning, outreach, design, and construction of 1.9 miles of Richmond’s North-South line.
• Henrico County’s Central Gardens Rehabilitation to upgrade the Central Gardens building, a former Henrico County School, to be used as the headquarters for the Henrico Police Athletic League (HPAL), a nonprofit that provides safe and structured activities to the youth of Henrico County. The project would construct a new roof and HVAC system and install solar panels once deemed safe.
• Capital Region Airport Commission’s Richmond International Airport’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Station to replace the existing station at Richmond Airport with a new facility that meets current FAA standards and is based on current and projected operational needs. The new ARFF Station will be in a safer location that will not require crossing taxiways to access it.
• Charles City County’s Construction of a New Water & Sewer Infrastructure to extend water and sewer infrastructure along Roxbury Road / State Route 106, bringing sewage generated along the Roxbury Corridor to the existing Roxbury Wastewater Plant, which will be expanded to accommodate additional flow.

Virginian Universities

• Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richmond Talent Pathway to enable VCU, in partnership with the City of Richmond, Richmond Public Schools, and the Central Virginia business community, to launch a new talent pathway to recruit, support, train, and retain diverse student populations in high-need career fields.
• Virginia Commonwealth University’s Community Health Workforce Continuum to develop a comprehensive workforce development model that leverages existing partnerships with Virginia’s community colleges, including their workforce development divisions, high schools, and regional career and technical education centers. This project will jumpstart initiatives to address the health care workforce shortage and persistent unemployment in communities served by the health system.
• Virginia Union University’s Center for Technology and Innovation to help connect students with local and national technology companies to improve learning opportunities and outcomes, accelerate economic growth, and strengthen the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in the science and technology industries while providing real-world, job-based training to strengthen the workforce.
• Virginia State University’s Broadband Improvement Project to help improve broadband access, reliability, and affordability on VSU’s campus by ensuring the university can deliver a stable and robust network.  

The Tri-Cities Area

• City of Petersburg’s Emergency Public Safety Communications System to upgrade the existing system to support and protect an economically depressed population, logistics, military, transportation, and growing pharmaceutical cluster that is critical to Virginia and the United States.
• City of Petersburg’s Lock’s Watermain Replacement to construct approximately 7,650 feet of twenty-inch ductile iron water main to replace the existing asbestos cement watermain, which has exceeded its useful life and has experienced substantial breakages. Lock’s Watermain is the sole supply of water to all residents and businesses in the City of Petersburg.
• City of Hopewell’s Courthouse Road Pedestrian Improvements to support the construction of Courthouse Road Pedestrian Improvements. This project will improve the safety and non-vehicular mobility along Courthouse Road by installing 5-footwide sidewalks, curb and gutter, underground storm drainage, and new ADA-complaint bus shelters to improve pedestrians’ access to bus access along Courthouse Road.
• Prince George County’s Roundabout at the Intersection of Jefferson Park Road and Middle Road to construct a one-land roundabout at the intersection of Rt. 630 and Rt. 646. This project would address congestion and safety at the intersection and provide an efficient, safe travel route for students, buses, and parents to the new 850 student elementary school near the intersection.

Southern Virginia Area

• City of Emporia’s Pedestrian Accommodation for US 58 to provide a safe path for pedestrians attempting to across US 58 to Purdy Road. This project would construct sidewalks along both sides of US 58 and install a push button pedestal to stop traffic and allow pedestrians to cross the highway safely.
• County of Greensville’s Mid-Atlantic Advance Manufacturing Center Collection System to bring sewer service to 1,600 acres of industrial zoned land, improving the marketability of the site and attracting industrial clients. The Mid-Atlantic Advance Manufacturing Center is a regionally developed site, and it is estimated that manufacturers would bring nearly 2,000 new high-wage jobs into Southern Virginia.

Last year, Members were allowed to submit up to ten requests, which Rep. McEachin successfully did, securing $19.1 million dollars in federal funding for Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District.

Updated guidance from the House Appropriations Committee for the FY2023 appropriations process allows Members to submit up to fifteen requests for consideration – although only a handful may be chosen for funding. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. McEachin has certified that he and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.

More information on Rep. McEachin's FY2023 Community Project Funding requests are available here.