$2.6 million grant awarded to city for flood-related industrial park improvements

VIROQUA, Wis. (WKBT) — A $2.6 million dollar grant will help protect businsses in a local community from flooding. Viroqua received the grant form the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday.

Officials from the city and Vernon County started the grant application process last summer, according to the mayor of Viroqua.

The money will help expand the city’s industrial park by making infrastructure improvements that will protect buildings during flooding. According to the city’s mayor, the project will extend sewer and water to the county-owned land north of Viroqua.

“While Viroqua itself has not been devestated by floods, we have the unique opprotunity to be able to offer businesses and development that could create more jobs and move businesses to this area, instead of the valleys that are often flooded out,” said Viroqua Mayor Karen Mischel.

The infrastructure improvements are expected to create $8.4 million in private investment.

Mischel said there is no exact time line yet, but work could begin on the project this summer.

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