(Harrisburg, Pa.) Dawood Engineering, Inc. (Dawood) collaborated with Swatara Township to secure a $600,000 state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the State of Pennsylvania.
RACP grant funds enable the Township to design and construct a new public safety building at the Eisenhower Boulevard municipal complex and modernize its fire, EMS, police, and emergency response. Improvements include decontamination rooms, secured offices for the special victim and mental health advocates, joint training facilities for both fire and police, and an emergency operations center.
“As the Engineer-of-Record, Dawood has played a significant role in assisting the Township with prioritizing its capital projects and securing RACP funding for complex improvements,” said Swatara Township Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Connolly. “Working with Dawood, our Township staff, and Representatives Thomas L. Mehaffie III (R-106), Patty Kim (D-103), and Sue Helm (R-104), Senator Gebhard (R-48), and Governor Tom Wolf (D) was a real team effort…this important project will improve public safety services for Swatara Township residents.”
The Dawood team prepared the project scope of work and budget included in the successful RACP grant application. RACP funds are administered by the PA Office of the Budget for the “acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.”
“Our track record of success in applying for and securing local and state funds allows us to deliver high-impact projects that might not otherwise be feasible,” said John Mizerak, director of planning and economic development with Dawood. “Swatara Township’s RACP grant award is one example of how we provide value to our municipal clients.”
Dawood’s Township partnership includes securing additional funds for Highland Street Corridor pedestrian and mobility improvements that connect Swatara Middle School to Bishop Park. For this project, Dawood applied for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s HATs multimodal grant program—enabling the Township to receive $403,000. The firm also helped secure $50,000 in matching funds from the Central Dauphin School District and a $150,000 grant from the Dauphin County Commissioners on behalf of the Township.
Leading with technology, Dawood used geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze PennDOT’s I-83 Eisenhower Interchange Reconstruction and help Township officials conclude that interchange upgrades will enhance emergency response time. The firm’s transportation support included traffic signal design, construction plans, and bid documents to replace the 28th and Paxton Street signalized intersection through PennDOT’s Green Light-Go funding traffic signal improvement program.
Turnkey Government Finance Solutions (GFS) combined with Dawood’s GIS acumen and 30 years of relationship building empowers municipal clients such as Swatara Township to strengthen communities.