אשת חיל: באקומט פרישע האלב מיליאן

Kiryas Joel, NY - A women's health center built in Kiryas Joel almost entirely through state and federal grants has just wrung another $500,000 out of state taxpayers.

The latest grant for the protracted, $11.4 million project was among dozens the state Senate announced Tuesday through its Economic Development Assistance Program — a $350 million pot that senators distribute at their discretion.

With this latest funding, Kiryas Joel has now secured almost $10.5 million in grants — mostly from the state — for a project that has taken four years longer than expected and cost nearly three times more than village officials predicted in 2002.

In addition to public funding, the village also has collected $500,000 in private donations for the building, according to the Empire State Development Corp., which is overseeing $3 million in grants that then-Gov. George Pataki gave Kiryas Joel for the project in 2006.

The center is expected to open within two months. It's intended primarily as a place where mothers can rest and recuperate after giving birth, although village officials are promising health-related services for women of all ages.