Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that 25 projects in Western North Carolina have been recommended to receive more than $5.7 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The projects will help bring needed jobs and economic development to 29 counties throughout Western North Carolina.
“North Carolina and the Appalachian Regional Commission are partners in bringing jobs and economic development to communities throughout western North Carolina,” said Perdue. “These projects will support business and infrastructure that will strengthen local economies.”
Project proposals were reviewed by the North Carolina ARC office and project partners to ensure they were consistent with ARC’s goals. The Commission will make the final decision whether each project receives funding.
Two projects in Surry and Watauga counties leverage additional grants from the Golden Leaf Foundation to provide access to mobile technology in schools, including laptop computers for students and teachers in Watauga County.
Created by Congress in 1965, the Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership that works with the 420 Appalachian counties and county-equivalents in 13 states to create opportunities for self-sustaining development and growth. North Carolina counties eligible to receive funding are: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.
For more information about North Carolina’s ARC office, click here.
ARC Recommend Projects
Project 1: NC Consolidated Technical Assistance Program
Applicant: NC Department of Commerce
Serves: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties
Amount funded by ARC: $500,000 of $1,056,321 total cost
Project Description: Seventy percent of the funds of this grant go to provide support and technical assistance to economic, community development, and long-range planning needs in ARC counties. The Western North Carolina Housing Partnership, which has introduced 600 units of affordable housing since 1988, also receives funding as does the 21st Century Communities Program, which works to support community development.
Project 2: Fresenius Medical Care
Applicant: Town of Taylorsville
Serves: Alexander County
Amount Funded by ARC: $130,000 of $260,000 total cost
Project Description: Fresenius Medical Care is a dialysis center that will be operating in Town of Taylorsville. The ARC funding will be used to provide sewer lines and rehabilitate a pump station providing necessary water to the center which will meet basic usage and fire protection needs. A backup generator serving the center will also be maintained at the pump station. Nine new jobs will be created as a result of this project.
Project 3: Foothills Higher Education Center
Applicant: Burke County
Serves: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford, Buncombe, Alexander and Polk counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $100,000 of $200,000 total cost
Project Description: This project is a partnership between Western Piedmont Community College, Appalachian State University, and Western Carolina University that will train and prepare workers for jobs in the health care industry. Individuals will be able to earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing, social work, recreational therapy, laboratory sciences, or health care management and receive training in professional skills development and certification courses.
Project 4: Capacity Building for Asset-Based Economies in Western North Carolina
Applicant: The Conservation Fund
Serves: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $100,000 of $227,900 total cost
Project Description: This grant will fund 12 or more seed grants supporting asset-based development to community based organizations with a focus on entrepreneurial opportunities, supplemental income generation, and job creation and retention. This grant will also fund two technical assistance workshops on grant writing skills and three leadership development workshops to further promote community development.
Project 5: Wastewater Treatment Plant Replacement
Applicant: Town of Crossnore
Serves: Avery County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $747,750 total cost
Project Description: This grant will help fund the replacement of the Town of Crossnore’s wastewater treatment plant, which has deteriorated to the point that it is now failing to reach state standards. If the plant is not replaced, there is a possibility of a sewage spill.
Project 6: Graham County Health Clinic
Applicant: Graham County
Serves: Graham County
Amount Funded by ARC: $52,300 of $117,300 total cost
Project Description: Graham County currently only has one primary care physician who cannot meet the needs of all citizens. There are no hospitals within 40 miles and no urgent care provider other than emergency medical services. This grant will cover the cost of contracted providers, a clinic administrator, patient treatment, medications and medical supplies and equipment. This heath clinic will provide primary care for over 700 low-income patients.
Project 7: Reducing Barriers to the Creation of Green Jobs in Building Diagnostics
Applicant: Isothermal Planning and Development Commission
Serves: Rutherford, McDowell and Polk counties
Amount funded by ARC: $100,000 of $200,000 total cost
Project Description: This program will fund the training of 30 individuals in the building diagnostics field. After training is completed the individuals will be able to lease three sets of building diagnostics equipment, allowing them to start entrepreneurial ventures. The project will train individuals in building diagnostics and provides them with leasable equipment after training is completed.
Project 8: Mount Airy-Surry County Airport Access Road
Applicant: Mount-Airy – Surry County Airport Authority
Serves: Surry County
Amount Funded by ARC: $1,000,000 of $4,666,667 total cost
Project Description: A 1.2 mile airport access road had to be closed to extend the runway to keep the airport economically competitive. This grant allows the access road to be replaced, retaining 1,100 jobs.
Project 9: Sugar Hill Road Water and Sewer Extension
Applicant: City of Marion
Serves: McDowell County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $1,954,100 total cost
Project Description: This grant will extend water and sewer lines to a new shopping center development creating 100 jobs as well as providing public water and sewer access to over 30 homes.
Project 10: Marshall Water System Capacity and Service to Address Critical Need
Applicant: Town of Marshall
Serves: Madison County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $1,192,534 total cost
Project Description: This grant will help the Town of Marshall bring its water system into compliance. It will rehabilitate three well houses, install a corrosion treatment system, and replace water lines in three areas of towns.
Project 11: Phase 3 Mars Hill Water System Improvements
Applicant: Town of Mars Hill
Serves: Madison County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $1,000,000 total cost
Project Description: This grants funds the third phase of water improvements by the Town of Mars Hill. This phase replaces a 5.5 mile transmission line that will allow Mars Hill to better manage public water during high demand times.
Project 12: Health Simulator Training
Applicant: Mayland Community College
Serves: Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $100,000 of $235,200 total cost
Project Description: The grant will fund an instructor and lab coordinator position as well as classes in Mayland Community College’s recently expanded allied health services program. That program now includes a birthing simulator mannequin and two advanced life mannequins to better train future healthcare workers. This funding will allow for training of 614 people over two years.
Project 13: Crestwood Farms Economic Development Project
Applicant: Town of Mocksville
Serves: Davie County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $2,745,165 total cost
Project Description: This grant will help fund the upgrade of a wastewater pretreatment plant, allowing the Crestwood Farms poultry plant to expand production without violating state and federal regulations. Additionally, the Lagle Water Treatment Plant needs to be upgraded to comply with state and federal standards. These upgrades to the water treatment facilities allow for the retention of 1,300 jobs and the creation of 103 jobs.
Project 14: Specialty Crop and Value Added Entrepreneur Project
Applicant: North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, Inc. (NC REAL)
Serves: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $35,000 of $70,000 total cost
Project Description: This grant will initiate a region-wide entrepreneurial training and support network to create and expand sustainable agriculture based businesses in Western North Carolina. The project will include convening partners to discuss regional needs related to sustainable agriculture, holding sustainable agriculture expos, and training instructors to offer specialized entrepreneurial training.
Project 15: Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative
Applicant: North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, Inc. (NC REAL)
Serves: Burke, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $65,000 of $108,356 total cost
Project Description: This grant will create a four county effort to increase entrepreneurial opportunities for young people ages 11-18 through a cooperative network of community colleges, school systems, local governments and economic developers. It will also create a regional support team consisting of over 20 community members committed to youth entrepreneurship, train 40 teachers to incorporate entrepreneurship into the classroom, and involve 600 middle and high school students in local and regional events.
Project 16: Asset Management for Community and Economic Development
Applicant: North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc.
Serves: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Clay, Macon, Madison, McDowell,
Mitchell, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Wilkes and Yadkin counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $43,853 of $131,560 total cost
Project Description: This grant provides training and expert assistance to government officials in developing long-term asset management plans. As a direct result of this grant, 15 officials will be trained and five Appalachian communities will develop asset management plans.
Project 17: Route 21 Water Pump Station
Applicant: Town of Sparta
Serves: Alleghany County
Amount Funded by ARC: $66,500 of $256,500 total cost
Project Description: This project will allow Alleghany County to better manage its water supply by installing a booster pump station, allowing commercial manufactures to improve production and retain 264 jobs.
Project 18: Spring Creek Literacy Project
Applicant: Duke University
Serves: Madison County
Amount Funded by ARC: $100,000 of $130,000 total cost
Project Description: This grant funds a six-week literacy program that will enrich the lives and learning of Appalachian girls. Girls will be allowed to attend the camp for four straight summers. The first camp will start this summer with a class of 14 sixth-grade girls, and a new class of 14 will join the program each year. Eight Duke undergraduates will lead this camp.
Project 19: Interstates Water and Sewer District Economic Development Project
Applicant: Surry County
Serves: Surry County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $5,027,000 total cost
Project Description: This grant will fund the construction of water and sewer lines and supporting facilities to serve existing and future businesses in and near the Interstates Water District. The project will serve eight existing businesses and create 50 jobs.
Project 20: Yancey/Mitchell School-Based Telehealth Network
Applicant: Graham’s Children’s Health Services of Toe River
Serves: Yancey and Mitchell Counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $89,459 of $127,799 total cost
Project Description: This grant establishes a school-based tele-health network to provide medical care for students in Mitchell and Yancey counties. Four hundred and eighty students will be served and 721.5 days of student absences will be saved. Harris Middle School and Bowman Middle School in Mitchell County and Micaville Elementary School in Yancey County will be the sites for this project.
Project 21: Cherry Creek Water Line Replacement
Applicant: Town of Wilkesboro
Serves: Wilkes County
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $1,017,179 total cost
Project Description: One of the Tyson Food plants in Wilkesboro has no fireflow capabilities. This has proven to be a problem when a previous building caught fire and was lost due to ineffective stream from a nearby hydrant. This grant will build new water and sewer infrastructure. This will create 75 jobs and help retain 350 jobs.
Project 22: Region A Community Colleges Green Equipment Project
Applicant: Southwestern N.C. Planning and Economic Development Commission (Southwestern Commission)
Serves: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $615,530 total cost
Project Description: This grant will assist three community colleges (Haywood, Southwestern, and Tri-County) purchase equipment for green instruction programs. 12 green instructional programs will be expanded and two new ones will be created, resulting in 400 students being enrolled for the 2010-2011 year.
Project 23: Southwestern Commission Toolbox Implementation Fund
Applicant: Southwestern N.C. Planning and Economic Development Commission (Southwestern Commission)
Serves: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties
Amount Funded by ARC: $300,000 of $550,000 total cost
Project Description: This grant funds the Mountain Landscapes Initiative Implementation Project which provides funding to local governments and non-profits to implement nationally recognized strategies for planning and development. At least 10 $30,000 mini grants will be awarded.
Project 24: Surry County Schools 21st Century High School Project
Applicant: Surry County Board of Education
Serves: Surry County
Funding:
Source Amount
ARC $ 200,000
Golden Leaf $ 200,000 Approved
Total Project Cost: $ 400,000
Description: Surry County Schools will provide ubiquitous access to technology to 3100 middle and high schools students through the purchase of 23 mobile computer carts.
Project 25: Watauga County Schools’ Global Community Transformation 1:1 Laptop Initiative
Applicant: Watauga County Board of Education
Counties served: Watauga County
Funding:
Source Amount
ARC $ 200,000
Watauga County School Board $ 100,000 Approved
Local $1,010,738 Approved
Golden Leaf $ 200,000 Approved
Total Project Cost: $ 1,510,738
Description: This project involves transforming a traditional high school model of education in to a 21st century model of education. This project will provide that 1,450 high schools student and 110 teachers have access to an internet ready laptop 24 hours a day/7days a week.