BANGOR, Maine, September 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson today announced a Community Facilities grant of $2M for the Town of Hollis. The York County town will use the grant towards the construction of a new town office for which a groundbreaking ceremony was held today. Officials hope the new facility will be open in about a year.
“Hollis is a great example of the collaboration between our Congressional Delegation and USDA Rural Development,” said Director Hampson. “Together we are bringing Community Facilities investments to rural Maine towns, leveraging federal dollars to modernize infrastructure and meet the needs of locals and visitors.”
Select Board members have been planning for the new facility for six years and anticipate the total cost of construction will be $7.5M. (The town is not taking on debt to fund construction, using a mixture of sources including TIF and ARPA funds.) Once complete, the structure will house the offices of the town staff, the Select Board and Planning Board, and services such as motor vehicle registration and General Assistance access. There will also be a large multi-purpose room for public meetings and events. Most of these features will be on the ground floor, with ample room for expansion as needed in the future thanks to a full daylight basement. Full plans for the structure are available on the town’s website (www.hollismaine.org/)
Local leaders also plan to use the new facility as an emergency shelter. Climate change has brought an increasing number of devastating weather events to Maine. Says Select Board member Mary Hoffman, “In the last year we had two major storms that put the power out for two to five days a lot of people, and we didn’t have anywhere for people to go to warm up, charge their phones, and so forth.” The energy-efficient, spacious, and accessible new town office will provide a warm shelter during future power outages or other emergencies.
Another beneficiary of the larger building slated to open next year will be the town’s Parks and Recreation Department, which will have more storage space and more options for evening activities. With a year-round population of nearly 5000 residents, the growing community has seen the construction of more than one hundred homes in just the last two years. Recreational activities and green space are a vital part of livable communities, and this project will also help support that work.
Community Facilities funding for the Town of Hollis comes through Congressionally Directed Spending. However, eligible rural communities may apply at any time to USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Public bodies, community-based nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes are eligible. Visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/me (look under “Key Programs”) or contact Bob Nadeau, Community Programs Director (robert.nadeau@usda.gov or 207-990-9121) for more information.
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