News
Region 8 Council Approves Projects
At its meeting on July 25 at the Shihadeh Innovation Center in Winchester, the Region 8 Council approved two applications for funding. The Shenandoah Valley Center for Advanced Learning (SVCAL) requested $884,500 in GO Virginia funding to address skill and employment gaps in the manufacturing and transportation sectors in the region. Funds will be used to make significant updates to replace outdated training equipment and to support the addition of new programs specifically aviation technology, industrial maintenance, and heavy equipment. Local contributions for facility renovations and industry partner resources for work-based learning, internships, and apprenticeship training, along with the requested GO Virginia funds will be used to create a reimagined and state-of-the art regional training center at the Valley Technical and Career Center in Fishersville.
The Region 8 Council also approved a $100,000 Enhanced Capacity Building grant application for the Winchester Airport. Funds will be used to analyze a 27-acre tract of land owned by the Winchester Regional Airport Authority and zoned for aeronautical use acre. The land is capable of accommodating a wide range of aviation uses, including aircraft manufacturing and is the most valuable asset to the business development strategy of the airport.
The State GO Virginia Board will consider these two applications at its September meeting.
Other news and information about GO Virginia Region 8 is available at https://govirginiaregion8.org/
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission Established
Established as a federal-state partnership by the 2008 Farm Bill, Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) was authorized to begin operating with the confirmation of a Federal Co-Chair in December 2021. The purpose of the SCRC is to build sustainable communities and promote economic growth across a seven- state region – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. SCRC will receive annual appropriations from Congress to invest in economic and infrastructure development projects that reduce the effects of persistent poverty, unemployment and outmigration.
The program mirrors the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The CSPDC will act as the local administrator of the program and provide technical assistance to the SCRC – eligible communities in our PDC: Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro, Rockingham, and Harrisonburg. To learn more about SCRC please go to: www.scrc.gov
Afton Express Featured on Virginia Public Radio
This past spring, Virginia Public Radio reached out to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the CSPDC to develop a feature story on the Afton Express as part of a series about how CARES funds have been used across the Commonwealth.
RadioIQ reporter Mallory Noe-Payne traveled to Fishersville in April to ride the Afton Express, talk to staff, and interview passengers. Paula Melester, a Regional Planner for the CSPDC, joined Mallory on her round-trip ride over the mountain. Along the ride, several passengers shared their personal experiences with the Afton Express and how this service has contributed to the quality of their commute. Their stories are captured in this radio segment.
DRPT’s Director of Rail and Public Transportation, Jennifer DeBruhl is also interviewed. Funding for the Afton Express through FY23 was provided by DRPT through a demonstration grant, partially supported by CARES Act funds. Director DeBruhl says that using these funds to help launch the Afton Express was a “no brainer”, as the service connects workers in the Shenandoah Valley to the Hospital System at the University of Virginia. During the pandemic, the service offered a transportation option for essential workers.
The story aired on Virginia Public Radio on June 21 and was shared on the WVTF/RadioIQ website. You can read or listen to the story here.
CSPDC Receives Housing Grants
In July, the CSPDC received notice of two grant awards from Virginia Housing. Collectively, these grants bring $1,725,000 in housing funds to the region. The CSPDC received an allocation of $1.7 million in funds through Virginia Housing’s Sponsoring Partnerships & Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) Program, a special allocation of reduced rate funding which provides a 1% adjustment to interest rates below Virginia Housing’s prevailing home loan rates. These funds will be used to complement the CSPDC’s existing First Time Homebuyer Program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to income-qualified homebuyers at 80% AMI or below. The CSPDC is currently completing initial program development activities with Virginia Housing and will begin outreach to Virginia Housing approved lenders in the coming month.
Additionally, the CSPDC received a $15,000 Community Impact Grant to conduct a Preliminary Architecture Report for a key property in Downtown Monterey. The building is the former home of the Highland Recorder Newspaper, and the property owner is partnering with the CSPDC, Highland County EDA, and Monterey town officials to assess potential future residential use. The study will kick off in August, and its findings will be used to determine best next steps for future re-development of the site for housing opportunities.
CSPDC Earns $100K ARC READY LDD Grant
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced the $100,000 grant award to the CSPDC on June 15. The ARC READY LDD (Local Development District) program seeks to expand district staffing and capacity in order to grow support for eligible communities to identify, access, and implement monies available at the federal level. Funding sources include, but are not limited to, the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The CSPDC serves as the LDD for the following localities: Bath County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington, and the towns of Glasgow, Goshen, and Monterey.
“This award will greatly assist the CSPDC in helping our localities identify and obtain federal funds that will be invaluable to our communities, business, and citizens as we recover from the lingering impacts of the pandemic,” stated David Blanchard, CSPDC chair and Highland County supervisor.
Learn more about the latest ARC awards HERE.