The city of Buchanan is preparing to begin a $19.4 million infrastructure project downtown, but there has been a slight complication with its budget.

Buchanan City Commissioners met this week and were told by City Manager Tony McGhee there’s a funding deficit of about $1.7 million for the project that will include water and sewer work along with streetscape improvements. McGhee said the city will have to borrow the missing $1.7 million.

Commissioner Dan Vigansky said he was angry to learn the amount initially budgeted wasn’t going to be enough.

“I thought this was all hashed out as far as the money,” Vigansky said. “We had the money, and that’s why we proceeded.”

McGhee said the project is being financed with a Michigan Department of Transportation grant and a U.S. Department of Agriculture low interest loan. Those sources just didn’t cover the entire cost of the work. He said the city can seek grants or another long-term, low interest loan to cover the remaining $1.7 million. In the meantime, some of the work will start in the spring.

“It is getting ready to start pretty soon. You will actually see some tree cutting coming down before…There’s a thing called the Indiana Long-Eared Bat that’s an endangered species and any tree in this part of Michigan is a potential breeding ground. So, we have to take trees down before the springtime. You’ll be seeing that. But we start to work out the plant work in downtown. We won’t see work downtown for a while.”

McGhee said a stakeholders meeting is planned for the first week of March so nearby business owners and residents can learn about details like how parking will be affected. He’s also arranging to get some additional temporary parking areas ready for the construction period.

Commissioners then approved a resolution of support and a match commitment for the project to proceed.