The Department of Commerce’s (DOC) Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced $34.2 million in disaster recovery awards for communities across North Carolina.
Delivered as part of the administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant program, the EDA will provide critical support where it is needed most to help communities get back on their feet. Recipients will use their awards to support economic recovery activities following major disasters between 2023 and 2024, including hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and other forms of inclement weather.
From the distributed amount, a total of $29.2 million will go toward Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) and Buncombe County to build a manufacturing hub. A-B Tech plans to build a 70,000-square-foot educational center and advanced manufacturing hub located on 13 acres of donated land.
Dubbed the WNC Futures Factory, the hub will provide engineering programs catering to five universities and five community colleges. The facility will collaborate with private industry partners to train 800 workers annually by 2035, prioritizing programs for research and development, pilot production and workforce training.
The following recipients will split the remaining $5 million in awards.
- The town of Murphy will receive $2.1 million to build a sewer lift station.
- Western Carolina University will spend $1.2 million to improve the WCU-Cullowhee Dam’s infrastructure.
- The Land of Sky Council of Governments will use $500,000 to provide capacity and support recovery services for heavily impacted communities in Madison, Buncombe and Henderson counties.
- The Western Piedmont Council of Governments will receive $500,000 to establish a regional disaster recovery coordinator position to help communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
- The Centralina Economic Development Commission, Inc. will use $400,000 to develop a strategic analysis and regional engagement strategy designed to help employers and critical facilities develop greater resilience measures to natural disasters.
- Ashe County will receive $267,080 to design, engineer and permit three shell buildings at Ashe Industrial Park.
Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels
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