Governor Kaine Announces Block Grants for Towns of Gretna, Saltville, Blackstone, and King and Queen County
– $3.5 million will remove blight, upgrade water supplies, stimulate investment –
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced Virginia Community Development Block Grants (VCDBG) totaling more than $3.5 million have been awarded to King and Queen County, and the towns of Gretna, Saltville and Blackstone. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to projects designed to help communities serving low- and moderate- income individuals and families, and include projects that upgrade infrastructure, remove blight, and facilitate investment and job creation.
“I am very pleased to announce these important grant awards, which will benefit a combined 200 Virginians with safer living conditions and water systems,” said Governor Kaine. “These funds also will help in planned revitalization projects that will assist potential business owners, create new jobs, and make a positive impact on these communities.”
King and Queen County has been awarded a $1 million grant to substantially improve living conditions in the Snow Hill Road area. The project entails the substantial reconstruction of five homes and the rehabilitation of 18 homes to housing quality standards, benefiting 88 individuals. Additionally, well and septic problems for 21 homes will be upgraded, and debris piles and scrap cars will be removed.
The Town of Gretna will receive $1,152,500 to eliminate a severe health hazard and rehabilitate substandard housing in the Northeast Gretna Neighborhood Project. The project will include the repair or replacement of 11 failed septic systems, removing a severe health hazard, and will include the rehabilitation of 13 homes and substantial reconstruction of four homes. Additionally, 3,800 linear feet of water line will be installed. Seventy-six individuals will be served by these projects.
The Town of Saltville will receive $385,675 for the rehabilitation of housing along Buckeye Street. A total of 11 substandard homes will be rehabilitated and one home substantially reconstructed, and the projects will benefit a combined 19 individuals.
The Town of Blackstone will receive nearly $1 million to remove physical blight in the central business district area and stimulate economic development. The Blackstone Downtown Revitalization Project will bring together public and private partners, create a façade program to improve 18 structures in the area, rehabilitate nine residential units, and improve or install curb, gutter, sidewalk and other streetscape features. Additionally, the project will create a microloan program to assist local businesses, in coordination with an Economic Restructuring plan being developed by the Town.
All four grant awards are being made through the VCDBG Community Improvement portion of the CDBG block grant program. VCDBG grants are awarded through a competitive process using objective scoring criteria developed in consultation with eligible localities. Most VCDBG projects benefit low- and moderate- income persons, and many projects are targeted for the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions. For more information about VCDBG programs, visit the DHCD Web site at www.dhcd.virginia.gov.
The VCDBG is a federally-funded grant administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) since 1982. Virginia receives up to $19 million annually for this “small cities” Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Currently, 284 localities in Virginia who do not receive CDBG funds directly from the federal government are eligible for VCDBG funding.
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