Flatwoods water project awarded $1 million grant

By STAFF REPORT
KINGSPORT TIMES NEWS
Published December 13, 2005

http://www.timesnews.net/archives/index3.php?id=9468476

COEBURN - The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will provide $1 million to Coeburn for the Flatwoods water extension project. The town will use the funds to provide water service to 79 households currently without public water.

The Flatwoods project has been included in a package of infrastructure grants announced Friday by Gov. Mark R. Warner totaling $5.2 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds. Seven other projects across Virginia also received funding.

"Just last month I announced that we have connected more than 70,000 Virginians to clean and safe water in the past four years, nearly tripling the goal of 25,000 that I set in the beginning of my administration," Warner said. "These grants will add to the progress we've made to connect more Virginians to reliable public water and increase employment opportunities across the state."

Some of the projects announced by Warner also target downtown revitalization, job training and support for 140 new jobs.

Virginia receives up to $22 million each year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the CDBG program. The DHCD allocates the funds on a competitive basis to eligible non-metropolitan cities, counties and towns. In accordance with federal law, the majority of CDBG projects benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

Other projects approved for funding include $1 million for Giles County for the Route 100 water line extension project to connect more than 100 homes to a public water system. The town of Floyd will receive $1 million for downtown revitalization, including improvements to 14 storefront facades and rehabilitation of two historic buildings, plus creation of an entrepreneur center.

The town of Luray is to receive more than $780,000 to improve 38 buildings, eliminate blight, improve housing, and create gateways to the downtown area.

For more information about the CDBG program or the grant projects visit www.dhcd.virginia.gov.