New Assistance Program for Community Facility Projects
Adam Grinold
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
802-257-7731
agrinold@brattleborodevelopment.com
www.brattleborodevelopment.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/14/2019
USDA Fund enables BDCC to Serve Towns and Non-Profits
The BDCC has initiated a new program that will help essential community facilities projects move forward. This USDA funded program enables BDCC to provide assistance to municipalities and nonprofit entities for eligible projects. The USDA created this opportunity to increase the number of projects moving from concept, to planning and implementation with the help of USDA grants and funding.
Community Facilities are be critical to the quality of life for local residents. While the USDA is often known for food and agriculture, their Community Facilities program can fund a wide range of projects from libraries to healthcare centers. The BDCC program can help at any phase in a project. “In our discussions with municipalities and non-profits we hear of so many needs, projects that could benefit from help to move from one phase or another. Some won’t be achievable without finding a way to leverage limited local dollars. Often these are great, “essential”, even potentially transformative projects for a town,” says Jennifer Stromsten, BDCC Director of Programs.
“We know that some towns and organizations simply don’t have the expertise or capacity to move every important project forward. The BDCC has a lot of experience working with USDA programs, and also a tremendous track record developing and managing property and doing construction projects. When this funding opportunity was issued we knew we had the right combination of experience to help. Thriving communities are essential to the region’s economic health and this work is a logical extension of what we do every day,” says Adam Grinold, Executive Director, BDCC.
To find out if a project meets the eligibility requirements, a simple assessment and overview can be submitted online at https://brattleborodevelopment.com/community-facilities-technical-assistance/. A brief summary of project and organization eligibility requirements is available online as well, or contact R.T. Brown, rbrown@brattleborodevelopment.com, 802-257-7731 with any questions.
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About BDCC and SeVEDS:
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth throughout Southeastern Vermont, including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Weston. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area. BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) is an affiliate of BDCC that grew from a 2008 grassroots effort, initiated by BDCC, to reverse the economic decline of the Windham Region and plan for the economic impacts from the closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In 2014, after multiple years of regional input, education and data gathering, SeVEDS submitted the Windham Region’s federally recognized S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for federal approval. For more information visit: www.seveds.com.