NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 28, 2020 - The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $871 million to improve critical community facilities to benefit 3.5 million rural residents in 43 states and Guam. Tennessee Rural Development State Director Jim Tracy announces today that nine rural Tennessee counties will benefit from more than $56.7 million in loan and grant investments.
“Our communities deserve to have access to modern community facilities,” Tracy said. “We are committed to partnering with rural communities to construct facilities that provide advanced services to those who depend on them.”
Brand announced essential community projects today in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Background:
USDA is funding 256 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. These investments will be for such purposes as to build or upgrade schools, libraries, clinics and public safety facilities. In Tennessee:
- The City of Pikeville will use a $1.1 million loan and $114,000 grant to purchase a 100'+ ladder truck with pump to better match the challenges presented by future growth within the city. Future growth within the city, requires that an adequately sized ladder truck be necessary. The new ladder truck will meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901 standard for the year of manufacture. The department also seeks to equip the truck with all NFPA and Insurance Services Office (ISO) required equipment.
- Henderson County will use a $9,900 grant to purchase hot spots and equipment for the Henderson County School System, which operates a school system with two high schools and seven K-8 schools, and administrative buildings. It serves more than 5,000 students. Henderson County Schools currently provides internet access at its schools, but with COVID-19, it is expanding remote learning. The county will purchase wireless "Hot Spots" for families that engage in remote learning and do not currently have access.
- The Town of Clarksburg will use a $125,000 loan and $22,000 grant to complete renovations of city hall. The renovations include the addition of a 600-square-foot entrance with office space and a covered entrance and drop-off with ADA improvements to each space. The Clarksburg City Hall is in desperate need of repair; over the past several years it has flooded numerous times due to poor drainage and a flat roof. The interior is not fully ADA accessible and is a liability to the city as the city hall space is used for numerous community events throughout the year.
- The Town of Jonesborough will use a $32.7 million loan to construct a 147,000 square feet, K-8 school designed for 1,100 students. The building is proposed to accommodate the enrollment trends, alleviate site constraints, and provide a path forward for the district. For this capacity, the anticipated school will need approximately 53 standard classrooms to meet the state average class size requirement. In addition, specialized classrooms such as labs, art rooms, music rooms, collaboration spaces, and the normal complement of associated supporting spaces are required: cafeteria, media center, gymnasium, etc.
- The Town of Halls will use a $940,000 loan and $250,000 grant to rehab the Arnold Field Airport Runway in Halls, Tenn. The project will consist of cold planning and milling the existing asphalt pavements off of the concrete runway to provide a more uniform base surface. The reconstruction process has an expected life of approximately five - six years before a minor pavement rehabilitation project needs to be considered, such as crack repair and seal coat.
- The City of Smithville will use a $85,000 loan and $250,000 grant to re-pave several city streets in need of maintenance. The project will provide necessary maintenance and rehabilitation to ensure streets remain safe and in useable condition. The implementation of the proposed work will provide the necessary means to extend the life of these streets.
- The City of Harriman will use a $3.8 million loan and $150,000 grant to purchase and renovate a new city hall. The city of Harriman is proposing to purchase a building in downtown Harriman to be used as a new city hall, and will house the law enforcement department, city employees and registrar’s office.
- Tri Cities Airport Authority will use a $2.6 million loan to make upgrades. These upgrades consist of two different projects: Public Parking Expansion project; which includes the grading and paving of a previously cleared area at the Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) adjacent to an existing parking area. Some electrical work will include parking lot lighting and access controls. Storm drainage will also be constructed to manage on site flows and match pre- and post-construction conditions. The second project is: CT-80 Baggage Scanner Relocation project; which will consolidate the airline passenger bag clearance operations and will allow three airlines to utilize the equipment. All of the CT-80 Baggage Scanner Relocation project will occur inside the Tri-Cities Airport's main building.
- Carson Newman University will use a $14.5 million loan to construct a nursing building for the college in Jefferson County, Tenn.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants, a detailed overview of the application process.
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/tn.
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