BRAINERD — U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, D-MN, announced Thursday, March 7, the House of Representatives passed legislation including $500,000 in funding to help preserve Brainerd’s historic water tower.
The bill now moves to the Senate for final passage.
“Brainerd’s water tower is a landmark,” Klobuchar said in a news release, “and
I stopped by the site with Brainerd Mayor Dave Badeaux and other city leaders to discuss the city’s preservation efforts. Now that the federal grant for this project has been secured, the city will finally be able to make the necessary upgrades to preserve the tower.”
The Congressionally Directed Spending funds will go toward new stucco on the exterior of the tower to repair chunks that have fallen off in recent years.
“Water systems are an essential part of our infrastructure, and the historic Brainerd Water Tower represents an important piece of the community’s local history,” Smith said in a news release. “This water tower is deteriorating, and this project would help to preserve and restore this landmark in the Brainerd community.”
Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state. During the Congressionally Directed Spending process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state.
in 2022, and the
includes new windows and electrical work inside the tower. The stucco project will come later.
