Calif. City Gets $3M Towards Rebuilding Youth Center

A $3,038,065 grant to the City of Atascadero, California to replace the youth center formerly in the earthquake-damaged Printery Building was approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The grant, made through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, is part of the $14 million in FEMA public assistance funds so far made available as a result of the major disaster declaration for the December, 2003, San Simeon Earthquake. The temblor registered 6.5 on the Richter scale and hit Dec. 22.

“Recovery from a disaster means getting important public facilities back on line,” said Karen Armes, acting director of FEMA’s Region IX. “This kind of assistance is a big part of what we do at FEMA and we hope this will help the youth of Atascadero.”

Because costs to repair the structure exceeded 50 percent of the estimated replacement cost, the city is eligible for funding to replace the Printery with a new building of the same size.

The Atascadero youth center is one of more than 232 San Simeon earthquake-related projects funded through FEMA’s public assistance program.

Once a disaster is declared by the President, grants, usually covering 75 percent of eligible costs, can help communities repair, replace, or restore disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private non-profit organizations.