Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Steinhatchee on Wednesday to announce $167.5 million in grant awards to 34 rural communities.  

The funds came from the 2023 and 2024 Storms Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery and Rural Infrastructure Fund. The awards will fund storm-hardening projects along with economic development projects across North Central Florida, the Big Bend region and the Gulf Coast of Florida. 

Within North Central Florida, DeSantis announced the following awards: 

Cedar Key Water and Sewer District    

• $7,349,280 – to construct and harden the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District potable water system.   

• $4,124,017 – to harden the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District Wastewater Treatment Facility. 

Big Bend Water Authority ($4,514,185) – to repair and replace critical water mains in Steinhatchee and Jena. 

Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners ($1,298,634) – to install updated drainage systems that are underperforming or have been damaged in previous storms.   

Levy County Board of County Commissioners   

• $1,107,015 – to eliminate a severe safety hazard, restore essential recreational and tourism access, and increase resiliency for this vulnerable coastal location.  

• $358,000 – to complete a Fire Emergency Response and Control Project—ensuring reliable emergency services in one of the county’s most vulnerable and hazard-prone regions. 

Town of Cross City   

• $32,062,208 – to build a new wastewater treatment plant and repair the sewer lines in the city.  

• $5,708,267 – to improve and upgrade stormwater drainage by installing elliptical reinforced concrete piping along the streets, further collecting stormwater into the main drainage ditch alongside US Highway 19. 

Hamilton County ($300,000) – to construct a new building at the Alapaha Commerce Center—providing flexible, move-in-ready facilities designed to attract logistics, distribution and advanced manufacturing companies. 

City of Perry   

• $12,000,000 – to construct a new parallel treatment train, which will enhance operational resilience and safety during future storms. 

• $8,500,000 – to replace current wastewater infrastructure and install modern equipment—managing capacity, ensuring regulatory compliance and enhancing system resilience during future storms.  

• $4,500,000 – to create a resilient independent water source by restoring capacity and increasing the reliability of Well No. 3 that will directly serve the City of Perry if the main treatment plant or water lines are compromised during a hurricane. 

Taylor County Board of County Commissioners   

• $1,050,000 – to repair and reconstruct residential roads in Steinhatchee to reduce recurrent flooding and prevent future washouts.  

• $4,969,425 – to construct the Taylor County Special Needs Emergency Shelter. 

• $298,440 – to determine the best available location in Steinhatchee for the construction of critically needed infrastructure for a commercial seafood off-load, processing and distribution facility through the Rural Infrastructure Fund. 

Doctor’s Memorial Hospital in Taylor County ($4,431,981) – to install a whole-facility emergency power system, replace hospital phone and communications systems and modernize the facility’s water treatment system through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Mitigation Program. 

You can find the entire press conference on DeSantis’ official Facebook page.