More than $8.1 million in federal Community Project Funding is headed to a dozen South Sound projects, U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland announced, with money slated for trail construction, emergency preparedness, housing modernization and other local priorities. The FY26 awards touch communities across the 10th Congressional District, including Edgewood, Puyallup, Tacoma and Thurston County. Local leaders are framing the package as a practical boost for long-delayed projects that have been waiting on state or federal help to finally move.
Where the Dollars Land
The $8,165,000 total backs 12 Community Project Funding awards around the South Sound, from relatively small transit and trail upgrades to larger housing and emergency-preparedness efforts. The appropriations list includes Edgewood Interurban Trail Phase III ($250,000); Puyallup Meeker Street improvements ($850,000); Tacoma fire engine acquisition ($1,000,000); Tacoma Housing Authority Salishan-Hillside Phase I ($850,000); Yelm downtown revitalization ($1,000,000); Roy water infrastructure ($700,000); Pierce Transit ADA signage ($250,000); University Place Chambers Bay access ($300,000); Olympia Armory elevator work ($250,000); Thurston County Fairgrounds evacuation and agricultural center ($1,015,000); Tenino regional meat processing ($850,000); and Fircrest Alameda Avenue pedestrian upgrades ($850,000), according to the House Appropriations Committee report posted on GovInfo.
In a press release from Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Strickland said the awards "will boost the local economy, and make the South Sound a cleaner, safer, and more affordable place to live and work." She also noted that the funding wins came "despite the challenges we face with the Republican majority in Congress."
Edgewood Trail Work and Why It Matters
The Edgewood award, at $250,000 for Interurban Trail Phase III, is intended to help build roughly a one-mile stretch through Jovita Canyon, closing a long-standing gap and tying together two existing segments, per the appropriations listing. The Interurban is a heavily used north-south rail-trail corridor for commuting and recreation and is part of a wider regional trail network. TrailLink provides additional context.
Local Reaction and Next Steps
Thurston County said the $1,015,000 federal award, combined with a $250,000 state grant, will help build a 20,000-square-foot evacuation and agricultural center at the county fairgrounds to protect livestock during disasters and to host year-round agricultural events, calling the outcome "a major win for our community." Thurston County credits Rep. Strickland with championing the project. Local governments now have to finish designs, secure any required matching funds and follow federal obligation and procurement rules before construction or purchases can start, officials said in public statements and in comments to the congresswoman's office.
The awards are part of the FY26 appropriations package approved by Congress and included as line items in the committee report. According to Congress.gov, which publishes the House Appropriations Committee's FY26 report, timelines will vary by project, with some purchases, such as fire engines, likely to move faster than construction projects that still need design, permitting and competitive bidding.
