Amelia Earhart Bridge Mitigation Fund

Second Round Application Deadline - February 1, 2010

2010 Program Announcement (PDF)
2009 Approved Projects (PDF)

Overview

The Amelia Earhart Bridge Mitigation Fund was established by a Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) as partial mitigation for the planned demolition of the National Register-eligible Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge that will be replaced by a new four-lane bridge. The purpose of the fund is to foster and support the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and interpretation of historic resources within Atchison.

The Amelia Earhart Bridge Mitigation Fund functions as a reimbursement program. The project sponsor must pay for work as completed and is reimbursed when the bills are submitted to the SHPO, less the matching percentage. Any restoration/rehabilitation work must comply with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/

Of the original $450,000 available for reimbursement, approximately $150,000 remains. A maximum of $100,000 will be awarded per project. A minimum match of 10% is required by the applicant. Any additional match that can be provided by the applicant will be taken into consideration by the review committee. Award recipients will be announced in March 2010.

Eligible Applicants and Projects

This fund is for properties located within Atchison. Public agencies, 501(c)(3) and other nonprofit organizations, and private property owners are eligible to apply for this grant program.

There are three application categories in which eligible projects may apply:

Category 1- applicants that have historic properties within the corridor of the Amelia Earhart Bridge project
Category 2- applicants that have historic preservation projects outside the project corridor but within city limits of Atchison. Projects must have a transportation connection.
Category 3- applicants that have non-rehabilitation projects such as museum displays for bridge or
transportation-related history; funding for speakers on historic bridge rehabilitation, or peer exchanges at historic preservation conferences.

Please note, for Categories 1 and 2, the historic properties should either be listed in the National Register of Historic Places; listed in the Register of Historic Kansas Places; or be determined eligible for listing. Please consult the application materials for further explanation.

Evaluation Information and Criteria

A 3-person review committee comprised of a member from the Atchison Preservation Alliance, a member from the SHPO, and a member of the Historic Sites Board of Review (a group of volunteers appointed by the Governor) uses the following criteria to evaluate and recommend projects for funding:

· The level of historical significance of the property
· Whether the transportation connection was adequately documented (Category 2)
· The condition of the property; whether property is endangered
· The urgency of the preservation work proposed
· Employment of the proper preservation treatments
· Feasibility of the project
· Capability of the applicant to carry out the project
· The potential benefit to the community
· Ineligibility of the project for other funds
· Long range plans for the property

Application Process

An application is available in a writable PDF form (link below) or contact the SHPO for an application in Word format. All applications must be submitted on the provided application form. Please review the application for further requirements.

Any questions about the program may be directed to:

Patrick Zollner
Deputy SHPO
Kansas Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Ave
Topeka, KS 66615
785-272-8681, ext 217

2010 Amelia Earhart Bridge Mitigation Fund application (writable PDF)

The Kansas State Historical Society does not discriminate on the basis of race creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities.