Topics Related to Community

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that 30 local governments in rural areas across the state have been awarded grants from the Rural Transformation Grant Fund, a new source of support for rural economic development projects in North Carolina funded by the federal American Rescue Plan.
North Carolina is one of two states that has received Area Development magazine’s inaugural 2022 Platinum Shovel award which recognizes states that went beyond the gold standard for investment and job creation. Tennessee is the second state receiving the honor.
Nineteen rural communities from across the state have been selected to participate in a unique new program to increase their capacity to plan, implement, and manage economic development programs and opportunities.  The Rural Community Capacity (RC2) program, a pilot initiative from the Commerce Department involving Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business, will welcome its first cohort of participants in Boone today (Tuesday, May 24).
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 15 grant requests to local governments totaling $3,840,156, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 649 jobs, 215 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $351 million in private investment.    
The Rural Transformation Grant Fund, a new source of support for rural economic development in North Carolina, is now accepting applications from local governments seeking to overcome challenges that limit their economic competitiveness.  The North Carolina Department of Commerce and its Rural Economic Development Division will administer the $48 million grant fund.
Thirty-three North Carolina Main Street Champions will be recognized for their commitment to downtown revitalization and strong communities in 2021 during a virtual Recognition Ceremony on today at 9:00 a.m. Including this year’s group of honorees, 837 Main Street Champions have been recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce since 2000.
Eight communities will receive awards for excellence in downtown revitalization during the North Carolina Main Street Awards Ceremony this evening. Secretary of Commerce Machelle Sanders, Assistant Secretary of Rural Development Kenny Flowers, and Director of the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center Liz Parham, will present the awards virtually in categories that include economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization.
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved ten grant requests to local governments totaling $2,119,529, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 349 jobs, 289 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $30.8 million in private investment.
The state’s annual downtown revitalization conference, the North Carolina Main Street Conference, will convene virtually again March 8-10 due to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.  Organized by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and its N.C. Main Street and Rural Planning Center, more than 700 economic development leaders attend this annual conference.  
The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded 21 Community Development Block Grant - Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) requests to local governments totaling $14.9 million. The requests will provide housing and public improvements for low- and moderate-income North Carolinians. 

“It costs more now to buy or rent so it’s critical that we invest more in affordable housing,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “These neighborhood revitalization grants will help us build stronger and more resilient communities across our state.”