May 21—ATLANTA — Gov. Brian P. Kemp has made preliminary grant awards totaling more than $225 million for 142 qualified projects that improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access in communities all across the state disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city of Albany and other surrounding communities will benefit from the grants that the governor said were awarded using a "bottoms-up approach." The Albany Parks and Recreation Department will receive $2.2 million for construction of two covered, outdoor basketball courts on the Carver Gym site, $2.2 million for its Henderson Gym project and $2.2 million for the Kalmon Malone Park project.

kAm"(:E9 @FC A2CE?6CD @? 3@E9 E96 =@42= 2?5 DE2E6 =6G6=D[ H6'G6 AC:@C:E:K65 96=A:?8 v6@C8:2'D 4@>>F?:E:6D 7FCE96C C64@G6C 7C@> E96 A2?56>:4 H:E9 2 3@EE@>\FA 2AAC@249[" z6>A D2:5] "pD E96 7:CDE :? E96 ?2E:@? E@ C6\@A6? @FC 64@?@>J[ H6 H6C6 7@CEF?2E6 E@ =625 E96 ?2E:@? :? E96 C64@G6CJ H9:=6 7:89E:?8 7@C 3@E9 =:G6D 2?5 =:G6=:9@@5D] %@52J[ H6'C6 :?G6DE:?8 E96D6 7F?5D E@ D66 E92E C64@G6CJ 4@?E:?F6[ 2?5 x H2?E E@ E92?@FC A2CE?6CD 7@C 96=A:?8 FD >2 7F?5D H:== 36 2==@EE65 E@ =@42= F?:ED @7 8@G6C?>6?E[ 4@F?E:6D[ @C ?@?AC@7:ED E@ FE:=:K6 :? :>AC@G:?8 @C >2:?E2:?:?8 C64C62E:@?2= 724:=:E:6D :? "F2=:7:65 r6?DFD %C24ED @C 7@C C6A2:C @C >2:?E6?2?46 5F6 E@ D:8?:7:42?E=J 8C62E6C FD6 @7 AF3=:4 724:=:E:6D 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4]k^Am

kAm"%96D6 8C2?ED 2C6 4CF4:2= 7@C E96 6?92?46>6?E @7 C64C62E:@?2= 724:=:E:6D :? CFC2=[ D@FE9H6DE v6@C8:2[" #6A] v6C2=5 vC66?6[ #\rFE936CE[ D2:5] "%96J 2C6 2? :?G6DE>6?E :? 49:=5C6? 7C@> 24C@DD @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[ H9@ H:== 36 23=6 E@ 36?67:E 7C@> E96D6 A2C:>AC@G6>6?ED] x H2?E E@ E92?v@G] z6>A 2?5 2== E9@D6 :?G@=G65 :? >26?ED 92AA6?]"k^Am

kAmp>@?8 E96 @E96C C68:@?2= 6?E:E:6D E92E C646:G65 8C2?ED H6C6 E96 4:EJ @7 pC=:?8E@?[ H9:49 C646:G65 Sa]a >:==:@? 7@C :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ E96 4:EJ'D pC=:?8E@? |F=E:AFCA@D6 !2C2D4FD[ H9:49 H:== C646:G6 Sdfh[g"]'_ 7@C :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ :ED 4:EJ A2C:==2 w@FD:?8 pFE9@C:EJ H:== C646:G6 Sa]a >:==:@? 7@C 56G6=@A>6?E @7 2 ?6H A2C6 2>@F?E 7@C 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 2 >F=E:AFCA@D6 EC2:= @C:8:?2E:?8 2E #:G6C r92D6 sC:G6]k^Am

kAm"x 2> D@ G6CJ AC@F5 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 E96 p#!p 8C2?ED 4@>:?8 E@ E96 'bE9 $6?2E6 s:DEC:4E[" DE2E6 $6?] r2C56? $F>>6CD[ #\r@C56=6[ D2:5] "%96D6 >F49\?66565 8C2?ED 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ :>AC@G6 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 @7 2== 4:E:K6?D :? D@FE9 v6@C8:2] p DA64:2= E92?J@F E@ 2== E96 4:EJ 2?5 4@F?EJ A6@A=6 E92E H@C2AC@G6 :ED (:==:2> qCJ2?E !2Cr@>A=6I[ 2?5 q6? w:== r@F?EJ 92D 366? 2H2C565 Sfc_[b_h]h_ 7@C 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 2 ?6H C64C62E:@? 4@>A=6I]k^Am

kAm"%96D6 8C2?ED 7@C =@42= :>AC@G6>6?ED 2C6 2? :?G6DE>6?E :? E96 7FEFC6 @7 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[" DE2E6 #6A] {66D2 w282?[ #\u:EK86C2=5[ D2:5] "qJ AC@G:5:?8 7F?5D 7@C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E AC@;64ED[ @FC =:G6D 2C6 6?92?465[ 2?5 H6 2C6 36EE6C 23=6 E@ 2EEC24E 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9] %96J H:== 36 2 42E2=JDE 7@C A@D:E:G6 492?86 :? @FC ?6:893@C9@@5D[ 4C62E:?8 2 C:AA=6 67764E E92E H:== 36?67:E @FC C6D:56?ED 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am

kAm"x'> 8C2E67F= E@ v@G] z6>A 7@C 2H2C5:?8 E96D6 7F?5D E@ q6? w:== r@F?EJ E@ :>AC@G6 2C62D H96C6 H6[ 6DA64:2==J @FC 49:=5C6?[ 82E96C E@86E96C 2D 2 4@>>F?:EJ]"k^Am

kAmuF== AC@;64E DF>>2C:6D 42? 36 7@F?5 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@A3]86@C8:2]8@G^2H2C565\8C2?EDQm9EEADi^^@A3]86@C8:2]8@G^2H2C565\8C2?EDk^2m]k^Am