Nogales council approves CDBG applications for Elm Street water and sewer work

The Nogales City Council approved applications for Community Development Block Grant funding during a special session on July 23, 2026. The selected option includes replacing water and sewer infrastructure on Elm Street.

The Elm Street project would be submitted through a Colonias set-aside application using CDBG funds and funding from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona, known as WIFA. The council also committed local funds to the Colonias application.

The vote advances the city’s funding requests, but it is not a grant award. It also does not set a construction start date or establish when work would be completed.

Separate applications for park improvements

In separate resolutions, the council approved applications for park improvements through a regional account. The council action did not identify which parks would be included in those applications.

The projects were considered in the context of potential impacts from an expansion of the DeConcini port of entry. The discussion also weighed expected community benefit and project readiness when prioritizing the applications.

What the decision means for Elm Street

If the Elm Street application receives funding, the project could support replacement of aging water and sewer infrastructure. That work could eventually improve the reliability of those services for nearby residents and businesses, while future construction could create disruption for people who use or live near the street.

The local-funds commitment gives the Colonias application a city-backed financial component. The amount of that commitment, the amounts requested from the grant programs and any final award were not identified in the council action.

That distinction matters for residents and businesses waiting to know whether the infrastructure work will move forward. Approval of an application is an early step in seeking outside funding; it does not authorize a confirmed construction project on its own.

The next major step is a decision on the grant applications. If funding is approved, the City of Nogales would still need to carry out subsequent project planning before a construction schedule could be established. The city’s official website lists its address as 777 North Grand Avenue in Nogales, Arizona.