On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced more than $1.4 million is headed to Fanning Springs through the Rural Infrastructure Fund grant and a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The funds will be used to help the small town, which is located on the Suwanee River on the Gilchrist County–Levy County border, improve its infrastructure to boost tourism and business.
“Infrastructure improvements are critical for communities to achieve their economic development goals,” DeSantis said on Thursday. “We will continue to assist these communities by utilizing every resource available so they may attract businesses and support a highly-skilled workforce for sustainable economic growth.”
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is in charge of the project and improvements include work connecting US 19 and State Road 26 to a hotel property; storm drains and other drainage features associated with road construction; water line and sanitary sewer line improvements; sidewalk improvements; and updating street lighting and electrical connections.
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, we are making investments in places where we know there will be an important economic impact for rural communities,” said DEO Executive Director Ken Lawson. “I’m excited for Fanning Springs – this infrastructure project will continue to develop their community by helping to attract new businesses and visitors to the area.”
“One of the new businesses coming to the community is a Best Western Hotel,: the governor’s office noted. “The new hotel will provide 40 new full-time positions in the area and will be owned and operated by the Nature Coast Development Group, LLC. The hotel will be in walking distance to the Suwanee River and the Fanning Springs State Park and is expected to help draw tourists and business travelers to the area.”
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This is just terrible news. The ruralness of this area is what makes it so nice. We do not need a hotel, and more people polluting the Suwannee river, or the Fanning spring basin. This is so sad to me. You al cut the trees, pave the land in the name of a hotel? You suck ron.
The area has been cleared for ages and there’s a major high-density subdivision development directly behind the site, along with a nursing home. Improvements here are not “killing nature,” it hasn’t been a nature area for decades. The better question to ask is how the motel developer had so much pull in Tally that they handed out over a million of OUR dollars to benefit his development. Now, THAT is the question.