Rural Center announces $5 million in grants for job creation, clean water

For release 12/17/2010

Contact: Garnet Bass, director of communications, 919-250-4314

RALEIGH, N.C. – The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center has awarded 38 grants totaling more than $5 million to create jobs, provide clean water and promote economic development in North Carolina. The grants will create 427 jobs throughout the state.

The center’s board of directors approved the grants Dec. 15. The grants were made possible by appropriations of the N.C. General Assembly.

JOB CREATION

Eleven grants, totaling nearly $3.5 million, will assist projects that create jobs by enabling the location or expansion of businesses in rural areas.

Infrastructure

Town of Canton, $600,000 to provide wastewater service to a site where four businesses plan to locate. The project will create 66 jobs in the Haywood County town.

Town of Carthage, $1 million to construct an onsite wastewater treatment system and retrofit an existing irrigation system to use the reclaimed water. The project will serve two businesses and create 188 jobs in the Moore County town.

Cleveland County, $150,000 to install fiber optic cable at the site of an information technology company. The project will create 15 jobs.

McDowell County, $9,500 to extend water and sewer service to the site of a nonprofit, small-animal meat processing facility. The project will create one job.

Polk County, $30,750 to extend public water service to the site of a new restaurant. The project will create four jobs.

Town of Spruce Pine, $400,000 to extend sewer and water line to the site of an assisted living facility for Alzheimer’s patients. The project will create 40 jobs in the Mitchell County town.

Town of Star, $200,000 to extend sewer service to the new facility of a military vehicle manufacturing company. The project will create 20 jobs in the Montgomery County town.

Building Reuse and Restoration

Edgecombe County, $60,000 to renovate part of a building for reuse by a company that develops value-added products for aquatic and horticulture applications. The project will create five jobs.

City of Elizabeth City, $104,000 to renovate a vacant building for reuse by a farm supply company. The project will create 13 jobs. Elizabeth City is in Pasquotank County.

City of Rocky Mount, $420,000 to renovate a building in the Edgecombe County section of town to house a company’s footwear sales and distribution center. The project will create 35 jobs.

Vance County, $480,000 to renovate a vacant building to enable the expansion of a lighting manufacturing operation. The project will create 40 jobs.

CLEAN WATER

Town of Elkin, $31,031 to augment a previous grant to rehabilitate leaky water lines. Elkin is in Surry County.

Town of Eureka, $22,600 to monitor the wastewater treatment system and develop a plan to reduce excessive flow. Eureka is in Wayne County.

Town of Fremont, $44,000 to augment a previous grant to identify areas of inflow and infiltration in the wastewater treatment system. The town is in Wayne County.

Town of Pembroke, $407,290 to extend sewer service to an elementary school. Pembroke is in Robeson County.

City of Shelby, $147,079 to upgrade water and sewer infrastructure at a baseball stadium. Shelby is in Cleveland County.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS

Twenty-two community development corporations received grants under a program designed to support nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in minority communities. The grants total nearly $1 million.

Awards were made to: Appalachian Housing Initiative Community Development in Wilkes County, $35,000; Bayboro Development Center in Pamlico County, $54,000; Blue Springs Community Development Corp. in Hoke County, $53,000; Columbus County DREAM Center in Columbus County, $48,000; Community Empowerment Project CDC in Rutherford County, $30,000; Countywide CDC in Brunswick County, $45,000; Cumberland Regional Improvement Corp. in Cumberland County, $47,500; Eagle/Market Streets in Buncombe County, $48,000; Goler CDC in Forsyth County, $48,000; New Life CDC in Washington County, $40,000; Olive Hill Community Economic Development Corp. in Burke County, $47,500; One Dozen Who Care in Cherokee County, $48,000; Quality of Life Association in Hertford County, $50,000; Regeneration Development Group in Halifax County, $30,000; Restoration CDC serving Wake and Franklin counties, $44,000; River City CDC serving Pasquotank, Camden, Perquimans, Gates, Currituck, Dare and Chowan counties, $55,000; Rosenwald Center for Cultural Enrichment in Greene County, $35,000; Sampson County CDC serving Sampson and Duplin counties, $40,000; Triad Economic Development Corp. in Guilford County, $40,000; Tyrrell County CDC serving Tyrrell, eastern Washington, Hyde and southern Chowan counties, $55,000; Uhuru CDC in Northampton County, $35,000; and Warren Family Institute in Warren County, $35,000.

The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life in rural North Carolina, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources. The center operates a multifaceted program that includes conducting research into rural issues; testing promising rural development strategies; advocating for policy and program innovations; and building the productive capacity of rural leaders, entrepreneurs and community organizations.

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