Jim Thorpe borough is hoping to secure state grant money this year for two major projects each estimated to cost north of $1 million.

Council voted last week to apply for a Commonwealth Financing Authority multimodal transportation grant to stabilize a wall along High Street, a project that could total $1.2 million when factoring in all of the work, engineering and inspections.

“This is for vehicular and pedestrian safety, as well as the preservation of electric, water and sewer utilities located on/under the road,” Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said. “The goal is to repair and shore up the wall to prevent its failure and ensure of infrastructure remains in place.”

While the state normally requires grant applicants to provide a 30% match, it has accepted waiver requests for the past several years in light of COVID-19 and Jim Thorpe intends to apply for that. Council did however pledge 5%, or about $60,000, in matching money from its sanitation capital reserve fund.

“We have around $800,000 in the sanitation fund and while you don’t have to put any match forward again this year, if you do it can help to move you higher up the approval list,” Sterner said.

The High Street wall project is a priority, Public Works Manager Vince Yaich said, calling a potential collapse an “accident waiting to happen.”

“You could lose your water and sewer line,” Yaich said. “You would also take that section of town down to one way in and one way out. It’s definitely cracking and pushing out. Every time you drive by it, it seems the bulge is getting a little worse.”

The other project up for a multimodal grant is Jim Thorpe’s downtown vehicle and pedestrian safety project. The borough is looking to add high visibility cross walks, Americans With Disabilities Act ramp curb cuts, relocate crosswalks to safer locations, repair the sidewalk along Broadway as needed, and widen county sidewalks on Route 209 near the train station.

“The goal is to highlight the pedestrian mode of transportation for those walking and for motorists, while enhancing access for those of all abilities,” Sterner said.

The total project cost is estimated at $1.1 million, while the grant request is $967,894.

“There is a $142,000 match, of which the borough would be responsible for $110,432,” Sterner said.

The rest of the matching money would come from Carbon County, the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency and the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, all of which are partnering with the borough on the project.

Applications for the Multimodal Transportation Fund are accepted annually between March 1 and July 31. Projects will be up for consideration at the November CFA board meeting.