Today, Paul M. Dabbar, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, announced $34.2 million in Disaster recovery awards for North Carolina, provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards (NC-11); Ben Page, EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Operating Officer; and EDA grantees joined him at the announcement, at the site of the future home of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub.
The awards announced today are an early milestone in a long-term effort to support economic growth in this region. These awards are being provided through EDA’s FY 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant program, a $1.5 billion effort to support economic recovery activities in areas that received major disaster declarations because of hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024.
The awards announced today include:
- Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Buncombe County (Asheville): $29.2 million for the construction of a new 70,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing workforce and innovation hub, which represents a partnership between multiple universities, community colleges, and economic development entities.
- Town of Murphy: $2.1 million for the construction of a new sewer lift station to support local businesses.
- Western Carolina University (Township of Cullowhee): $1.2 million for infrastructure improvements of the WCU-Cullowhee Dam, to support the local recreational economy.
- Land of Sky Council of Governments (Asheville): $500,000 to provide additional capacity and support recovery for hard-hit communities in Madison, Buncombe, and Henderson counties.
- Western Piedmont Council of Governments (Hickory): $500,000 to support a new regional disaster recovery coordinator position to assist in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
- Centralina Economic Development Commission, Inc. (Charlotte): $400,000 for the development of a strategic analysis and regional engagement strategy to determine major employers and critical facilities and to support their resilience to natural disasters.
- Ashe County (Jefferson): $267,080 for the design, engineering, and permitting of three shell buildings at Ashe Industrial Park.
“President Trump is delivering on his promise to rebuild southern communities impacted by hurricanes. Today’s grant announcement in North Carolina invests in long-term economic growth and resiliency that will benefit generations in these communities,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Paul Dabbar. “The Department of Commerce is committed to providing communities with the resources they need to recover from the economic impacts of natural disasters and encouraging public-private partnerships that drive economic growth.”
“The grants announced today will support the Department of Commerce’s holistic approach to recovery in Western North Carolina. Each project will expand American manufacturing competitiveness, create jobs, and support business expansion throughout the area, which is still recovering from the economic devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Ben Page, performing the nonexclusive duties and functions of the Assistant Secretary.
About the Economic Development Administration:
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. To learn more about EDA, visit www.eda.gov.