North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Western North Carolina will receive $34.2 million in federal disaster recovery grants for seven projects aimed at strengthening economic growth and resilience following Hurricane Helene.
Paul M. Dabbar, U.S. deputy secretary of Commerce, announced the awards at the future site of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub. U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., Ben Page, deputy assistant secretary and chief operating officer of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and grant recipients also attended the announcement.
The awards are being provided through the EDA’s fiscal 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program, a $1.5 billion initiative supporting economic recovery in areas that received major disaster declarations because of hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.
The largest grant, $29.2 million, will go to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Buncombe County for construction of a new 70,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing workforce and innovation hub in Asheville.
The project is a partnership involving multiple universities, community colleges and economic development organizations.
Other projects receiving grants include:
- Town of Murphy: $2.1 million to construct a new sewer lift station to support local businesses
- Western Carolina University: $1.2 million for infrastructure improvements to the WCU-Cullowhee Dam
- Land of Sky Council of Governments: $500,000 to provide additional capacity and support recovery in hard-hit communities in Madison, Buncombe and Henderson counties
- Western Piedmont Council of Governments: $500,000 to support a regional disaster recovery coordinator position
- Centralina Economic Development Commission Inc.: $400,000 to develop a strategic analysis and regional engagement strategy identifying major employers and critical facilities and supporting their resilience to natural disasters
- Ashe County: $267,080 for the design, engineering and permitting of three shell buildings at Ashe Industrial Park
The awards are part of a broader effort to support long-term economic recovery in Western North Carolina. Federal officials said the projects will support manufacturing competitiveness, job creation and business expansion in communities still recovering from the economic impacts of Hurricane Helene.
“The Department of Commerce is committed to providing communities with the resources they need to recover from the economic impacts of natural disasters and encouraging public-private partnerships that drive economic growth,” Dabbar said.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said the grants will help communities continue rebuilding and create new opportunities for residents and businesses.
“Western North Carolina is working hard to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, and these grants are going to help communities build on that momentum,” Stein said.
The Stein administration has worked with private and philanthropic organizations to support and strengthen more than 20 EDA funding applications following Hurricane Helene. The EDA continues to review applications on a rolling basis.
Earlier this month, Cleveland Community College in Shelby received a $1.7 million EDA grant to support construction of a health care workforce training facility.
North Carolina is also directing state funding toward Helene recovery. In July, Stein signed Senate Bill 257 into law, enacting the state’s first full state budget in more than two years. The budget includes more than $700 million for Hurricane Helene recovery.
In June, Stein returned to Washington, D.C., to advocate for additional federal funding for Helene recovery. His $10 billion federal request includes funding to rebuild housing, strengthen infrastructure and support small businesses.