USDA-funded facility brings one-stop services to rural community of 2,000
U.S. Department of Agriculture Ohio Rural Development State Director David L. Hall was on hand today to help commemorate a ribbon cutting and open house for the Village of Arcanum’s new administration and police building.
“With foresight, determination and teamwork, this project came to fruition on time and under budget,” said Hall. “The thoughtful building design makes one-stop services a reality for the community, and will help Arcanum in its quest to become a destination place for rural business and manufacturing to take root. Our Community Programs team is pleased to have helped bring such a cutting-edge project to the more than 2,000 rural Ohioans who call Arcanum home.”
With an initial budget of $2.5 million, this project was funded in early fiscal year 2019 through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program, which offers affordable financing to qualified applicants who wish to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Thoughtful design revisions, favorable construction bids, and fiscal contributions from the village brought the final cost down to about $1.1 million.
For the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program, USDA defines essential community facilities as those which provide an indispensable service for the orderly development of communities located in rural areas with populations of 20,000 or fewer. It does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Qualified Community Facilities Direct Loan borrowers include public bodies, community-based nonprofit corporations, and federally-recognized Tribes. Examples of eligible facilities include hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers, libraries, and public safety buildings. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.