The city of Maryville, in partnership with Northwest Missouri State University, is the recipient of a Missouri Department of Natural Resources grant to help fund a joint stormwater improvement project.

While the project cost totals about $4.7 million, the grant will fund approximately $3.7 million with a local match of $990,668, or 21 percent of the total cost.

The city worked in collaboration with Northwest, including University Grant Coordinator Tye Parsons, Director of Capital Programs Scott Kuhlemeyer and Assistant Vice President of Facility Services Dan Haslag, to seek the grant.

“The proposed stormwater improvement project is yet another example of a transformative town-and-gown collaboration between the city of Maryville and Northwest Missouri State University to improve critical community infrastructure,” Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel said.

The stormwater improvement project will upgrade critical infrastructure on the Northwest campus and in adjacent neighborhoods where drainage from hard surface areas collects in undersized stormwater infrastructure and flows southeast through drainage channels across First Street into Judah Park. As a result, high-volume rainfall events overwhelm the existing system, causing surface flooding and creating the potential for damage to adjacent structures and property. The improvements will include additional surface inlets, stormwater pipes, catch basins and green infrastructure.

“The grant funding allows Northwest to accelerate the execution of our stormwater management plan to address runoff and drainage capacity deficiencies and likewise for the city to make related improvements downstream of the University,” Haslag said. “We’re greatly appreciative of Mr. McDanel and others from the city and look forward to future partnering opportunities.”

In the coming months, the city of Maryville will release a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to hire a qualified engineer for the completion of a final design, permitting and the preparation of construction documents. Construction related to the stormwater improvements is anticipated to begin as early as the summer of 2023.