State funds to help economic development projects in Lumberton, Pembroke

The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C.
·3 min read

Jun. 16—RALEIGH — Governor Roy Cooper announced Thursday that the City of Lumberton and the Town of Pembroke were among 30 local governments in rural areas across the state to receive 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.

Lumberton was awarded $900,000 which is earmarked for downtown revitalization. Specifically, the money supports downtown development initiatives to help grow and leverage Lumberton's commercial core into an asset for economic growth and prosperity, according to a prepared statement from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The city will primarily use grant funds to help with the cost of the ongoing Carolina Civic Center expansion, City Manager Wayne Horne said.

"It's part of our downtown revitalization efforts," Horne said. "This will make (the Carolina Civic Center) more of an event center; you'll have inside space now for small conferences and different things."

Pembroke was awarded $850,000 as part of the Resilient Neighborhoods Category, which offers grants focused on community development and quality of life improvements, such as eliminating food deserts, creating healthy living initiatives and increasing access to affordable housing options, among other initiatives.

This funding will "provide critical transportation infrastructure to ensure safe modes of travel for residents and community members, including residents in the Arrowpoint Community," according to Pembroke Town Manager Tyler Thomas.

"The Town is grateful to NC Commerce for their support of this project which will help offset funding needs to extend sidewalk from the center of Town to the Tribe's Governmental Headquarters along NC Highway 711," he said.

"North Carolina's rural communities are our heart and soul, and we are committed to helping them grow and become more competitive," said Governor Roy Cooper. "Today's awards will provide both the funds and the expertise to help transform and expand North Carolina's rural economies, create good jobs, and strong communities."

A total of $20.1 million will be issued in this first round of grantmaking from the Fund, which helps local governments overcome challenges that limit their economic competitiveness. The North Carolina Department of Commerce and its Rural Economic Development Division administer the $48 million grant fund.

"Today's awards allow us to share more widely the best practices we know work well for rural economic development programs," said Kenny Flowers, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for Rural Economic Development. "I look forward to working with these communities and others to come later, as we work to transform the economy in rural North Carolina."

Earlier, on May 24, a fourth category of the program known as Rural Community Capacity Building (RC2) announced an initial cohort of 19 communities across the state that would participate in an educational initiative to bolster the professional development and planning capacity of local government staff.

"Economic development success requires extensive preparation and planning," said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. "I'm excited to see how this first round of grants will help many rural communities in North Carolina reach the next level of prosperity."