For Immediate Release 7/20/2010

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

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center is making $23.8 million in grants available to create jobs in North Carolina’s 85 rural counties.

The grants, to support job-generating building reuse and water-sewer projects, are made possible by appropriations of the N.C. General Assembly.

“The fact that this funding is available speaks to the dedication of our governor and legislators,” said Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall. “Even in a tough budget year, they’ve shown that putting people back to work in rural communities remains a top priority.”

Nearly $13 million is available through the center’s Economic Infrastructure Water and Sewer Grants Program. The grants may be used to upgrade utilities to enable new business locations or expansions. Up to $10,000 is available for each job to be created, with a maximum grant of $1 million or half the total project cost. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More than $11 million will be offered through the Building Reuse and Restoration Grants Program, which helps communities restore and renovate vacant buildings for use by new and expanding businesses. Development grants of up to $480,000 are available for projects in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties. Grants are capped at $240,000 for projects in Tier 3 counties. For most projects, at least one job must be created for each $8,000 in grant funding. The next application deadline is Sept. 3.

Since they were launched in 2004, the two programs combined have awarded more than $80 million to 378 projects, assisting 470 businesses and creating 11,200 jobs. The grants are awarded to local governments, which work with the businesses to ensure job creation.

“The unemployment rate may be dropping, but that’s little consolation to the 450,000 North Carolinians who are still unemployed,” Hall said. “These grant programs give rural people hope by getting them back in the workforce.”

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.