APPALAChIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION

POWER AWARDS, OCTOBER 2018

A complete list of all ARC POWER awards is available at www.arc.gov/power

ALABAMA

$1,750,000 ARC grant to the Alabama Community College System in Montgomery, AL, for the Alabama

S.T.R.O.N.G. (Skills Training to support Real Opportunities for New job Growth) project, which will target

the coal-impacted communities in ten ARC counties in Alabama. The project seeks to increase

awareness about the current and future job opportunities available in the advanced manufacturing

sector, a growing part of the regional economy. It will provide students and workers with life skills,

remedial education, and cutting-edge technical skills and certificate training to prepare them for either

additional postsecondary education or direct placement into high-wage and high-demand careers

available in Alabama’s advanced manufacturing industry. Overall coordination will be provided through

the state community college system, with individual course offerings delivered by Bevill State, Jefferson

State, Lawson State, and Shelton State Community Colleges. The project will expose thousands of

residents to the benefits of working in advanced manufacturing, and it will serve close to 4,200

participants and their families directly with critical life and technical skills gap training, new job

opportunities, and access to vital social and financial services necessary to succeed. At least 2,101

workers/trainees and 976 students will obtain new or enhanced positions, 1,132 jobs will be retained,

seven new jobs will be created and six new programs implemented, and all 77 participating businesses

will be improved by having access to a more skilled workforce.

KENTUCKY

$1,305,200 ARC grant to the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation, Inc. in Corbin, KY, to install a wastewater

treatment facility for the Appalachian Wildlife Center (the Center). The Center will be a major tourist

attraction and a world-class education and research facility focused on wildlife conservation and re-use

of reclaimed coal lands of Appalachia. Located on 19 miles of reclaimed mine land, the Center will feature

the largest elk restoration and viewing effort in the United States and will boost tourism in a tri-state

area. When fully operational, the Center expects to host over 835,000 annual paying attendees. The

visitor center building will house classrooms, a museum of natural history and wildlife conservation, and

a museum of regional history. An artisans’ market, display gallery, and work area will highlight regional

artists. Following the project’s completion, 11 communities will be improved through revenues from

tourism and 99 jobs will be created at the facility during the performance period. Additional funding for

the Center is being provided through the Abandoned Mine Lands program of the Office of Surface

Mining Reclamation and Enforcement of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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$1,000,000 ARC grant to the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, KY, to support the Center’s

Community Oriented Access to Learning (COAL) program. This training program will serve 14 counties in

southern and eastern Kentucky that have been severely impacted by the downturn of coal production.

The program will assist unemployed and under-employed individuals from these communities in

obtaining training and education that will support them in finding employment. Additionally, the program

will benefit employers within the region by providing a more skilled workforce to meet growing

workforce demands. The grant will support training and education in two growing sectors: Allied health

and Information Technology. The COAL program will also offer much-needed soft skills training. The

COAL program expects that 50 Allied health workers/trainees will obtain employment in a field related

to their training, 110 Information Technology students will obtain employment and/or move into a higherlevel position based on the training they receive through this program, and 26 broadband technology

students will obtain employment and/or continue their education.

$600,000 ARC grant to hazard Community and Technical College (hCTC) in hazard, KY, to expand the

college’s welding technology program. hCTC’s welding technology program is operating at capacity and

the demand generated by regional employers exceeds the resources available to the college. The grant

will fund renovations, equipment, and personnel, serving at least 12 more students per cohort in each

short-term training. The training is developed in consultation with area employers. At the end of the

grant period, hCTC expects 70 workers/trainees will obtain a job in the field for which they were

specifically trained and 60 students will complete the credit-bearing training program. The expansion of

the welding program builds on a prior POWER grant to hCTC to expand its course offerings in four other

career clusters.

$80,000 ARC grant to Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland, KY, for an

assessment of investment opportunities in five Southeastern Kentucky counties (Bell, harlan, Knott,

Letcher, Perry), focusing on identifying redevelopment projects that also include potential

entrepreneurship components. The assessment will include an executive summary that presents an

overview of creative place-making in the five-county region, an economic and financial snapshot for each

county, and investment case studies from within Southeastern Kentucky as well as from outside the

region. The findings will yield a set of recommended investments and opportunities. Additionally, a

communications strategy will be released to help market these opportunities to local communities,

developers, and philanthropies. The assessment will tie in the work of six POWER-funded projects in the

area.

MISSISSIPPI

$730,559 ARC grant to the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District in Starkville, MS, to

support a project that will diversify the economy of four coal-impacted Mississippi counties (Choctaw,

Kemper, Webster, Winston) by building a competitive manufacturing workforce. The project’s first goal is

to implement a middle-skill manufacturing training program based on the Mississippi Works Smart Start

Career Pathway Model to build up a skilled workforce in the four counties. The second goal is to

strengthen existing Pathway Model programs in the region, especially work experience opportunities.

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Developed by the State of Mississippi, the Pathway Model consists of intensive career development,

necessary skills assessment, and basic skills development with career enrichment activities geared

toward in-demand, middle-skilled occupations. Training will be provided by three area community

colleges. At least six of the eight participating companies will be improved by hiring students and

trainees. It is anticipated that 108 of the students who enter a training program will complete and obtain

employment. All 165 incumbent workers will benefit from having higher level skills, and 31 of the

unemployed adults will obtain employment.

NORTH CAROLINA

$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Southwestern NC Planning and Economic Development Commission in

Sylva, NC, for physical improvements to the Western North Carolina Farmers Market (WNCFM). This

investment will bring the market to appropriate standards and capacity to expand the region’s food and

agricultural economy. The project will strengthen the economy in an area that has seen job losses

associated with the closure of a nearby coal-fired power plant and the conversion of another coal-power

generation facility to natural gas. The infrastructure improvements will provide immediate benefits to 64

market-dependent businesses, will attract new clients and consumers to the market, and will provide

space to incubate value-added businesses. Construction of a Value-Added Food Business Support

Center, managed by Blue Ridge Food Ventures, will expand operations at the WNCFM to include

entrepreneurs engaged in production and sale of foods, cosmetics, and natural products in an FDAcertified facility. Performance outcomes from this investment are expected to include 64 businesses

improved, 36 businesses created, 50 new jobs created, 120 existing jobs retained, 150 students improved,

25 worker trainees improved, and $700,000 in leveraged private investment. Additional funding is being

provided by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

$940,000 ARC grant to Mountain BizWorks in Asheville, NC, for a collaborative regional approach to

expanding Western North Carolina's (WNC) promising outdoor gear manufacturing industry. With a

focus on fostering entrepreneurship in this sector, the project will leverage assets within the region's

coal-impacted communities to create and grow new businesses. These assets include a skilled workforce,

the region’s manufacturing heritage, and popular natural and cultural resources. The project will also

support timely economic diversification in WNC's communities that have lost jobs and economic activity

related to coal industry contractions, including the conversion of coal-fired power generating facilities,

the closure of a key coal rail yard, and the loss of mining-related customers for local manufacturers.

Strategies for boosting the outdoor gear sector include workforce development, entrepreneurship and

access to capital, supply chain optimization, and engagement of local economic development

practitioners. To advance the sector, Western Carolina University will develop new degree and certificate

programs and the area’s community colleges will promote outdoor industry career pathways. Outcomes

for this project are expected to include 100 businesses improved, 50 students improved, 45

workers/trainees improved through enhanced skills, $4 million in leveraged private investment, 35 new

businesses created, 150 new jobs created, 65 jobs obtained, and $6 million in new revenue by

participating firms.

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$100,000 ARC grant to Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, NC, on behalf of the Community

Colleges of Appalachia (CCA) to develop two strategic plans that address both opioid issues and

entrepreneurial training in the coal-impacted communities served by the community colleges. The

funding will allow two CCA colleges from each of the thirteen ARC states to participate in the plans’

formulation. As plans are developed, they will be made available to all community colleges in the

Appalachian region, fostering partnerships that address ARC’s goals of developing and maintaining a

healthy workforce and creating environments that support the growth of entrepreneurial enterprises.

This project will help identify sources of funding that will help with the implementation of the plans.

$99,000 ARC grant to the Piedmont Triad Regional Council in Kernersville, NC, for a strategic plan to

address the current and future workforce needs of Forsyth and Surry counties—two counties that are

experiencing challenges associated with the decline of the coal supply chain as local manufacturers lose

customers in the coal industry. This plan will include a state-of-the-art workforce development and

education center called the Dream. Career. Academy. The center’s purpose will be to train workers to fit

the needs of the local and regional economies and close the growing talent alignment and skills gap.

OHIO

$750,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, Oh, for the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE)

program to foster social enterprise activities in coal-impacted communities in Ohio and West Virginia.

The grant will support a two-year continuation and expansion of the one-year SEE pilot project

previously funded by a POWER grant. Social enterprises use for-profit business strategies to achieve

specific social benefits. The project focuses on several key areas, including entrepreneurial and business

development, creating a ready workforce, building critical infrastructure (such as broadband), leveraging

cultural assets to stimulate economic activity, building capacity for social enterprises, and convening and

facilitating impact investors’ investments in the region. Through the grant, new or strengthened social

enterprises will serve at least 32 communities. Key partners for the work include the Foundation for

Appalachian Ohio, the Parkersburg (WV) Area Community Foundation, and Rural Action. The project

expects to improve the performance of at least 42 social enterprise businesses and help launch 17 new

ones. In addition, the SEE team projects that 38 new jobs will be created, and the grant will yield at least

$6 million in leveraged private investment.

$538,200 ARC grant to the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation in South Point, Oh, to

foster the creation of a dynamic angel investment group serving the tri-state region of Ohio, Kentucky,

and West Virginia. The project will build the technical capabilities of the Tri-State Angel Investing Group

(TSAIG) so that increased amounts of private funds can be raised and invested in potential high-growth

companies across 19 counties in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The lack of angel capital is an

impediment to entrepreneurial growth and job creation in the tri-state region. The expected outcomes

for this project include 30 businesses improved, five new businesses created, 40 new jobs, 19

communities improved, and $1 million in private investment that will be leveraged through ten new

investors.

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$78,624 ARC grant to Buckeye hills Regional Council in Marietta, Oh, for a feasibility study examining

broadband deployment opportunities along Route 33 in Ohio between Groveport and Belpre. half of

Appalachian Ohio’s residents and business are without broadband service that meets FCC standards.

This study will analyze service gaps, gauge demand in underserved communities, inventory existing

assets, and develop strategies for deployment. The ultimate goal is to attract new jobs and investments

in areas affected by the loss of coal-related jobs and establish a new “high tech corridor.”

$30,000 ARC grant to Growth Partnership for Ashtabula in Jefferson, Oh, to develop a strategic plan for

Ashtabula County’s rail and port transportation infrastructure. Due to the downturn of the coal economy,

service has been cut at the County’s ports and along its rail lines. The plan will inventory existing

transportation infrastructure assets and review market needs in order to identify opportunities for

greater usage of current assets by local businesses.

PENNSYLVANIA

$1,227,447 ARC grant to the Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission in Altoona, PA,

to expand the Alleghenies Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (“Startup Alleghenies”). Startup Alleghenies seeks

to recognize, encourage, and guide entrepreneurs to create new businesses or expand existing

businesses, ultimately generating new jobs and investments in the Alleghenies Region. The project will

identify innovative, entrepreneurial individuals and connect them with coaches/mentors who will link

them with resources and training to facilitate their success. Startup Alleghenies first received a POWER

grant in 2017, with the work focused on Blair, Cambria, and Somerset Counties. The new grant will help

the Alleghenies Entrepreneurial Ecosystem increase the number of new business starts by expanding the

geography served to include Bedford, Fulton, and huntingdon Counties and by enriching the offerings

provided through the four existing pillars of the ecosystem including: providing coaching, creating

places for entrepreneurs, establishing a network of resources, and producing events, gatherings, and

trainings. The expansion is expected to create 30 new businesses, improve 20 existing businesses,

leverage $2 million in private investment, and create 150 new jobs. Additional funding for the work of

Startup Alleghenies is provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the

Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.

$1,035,000 ARC grant to Innovation Works, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, for the Western Pennsylvania Small

Business Services for Coal-Impacted Communities (SBS) program. The project focuses on the

revitalization of western Pennsylvania's coal-impacted communities through innovation and

entrepreneurship by providing opportunities for those negatively impacted by contractions in the coal

economy, including displaced individuals looking for new jobs or opportunities to start their own

businesses, main-street businesses in need of business-support services, and new and existing

manufacturing and technology businesses. The SBS is a joint initiative of Innovation Works/Ben Franklin

Technology Partners of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and

Northern Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh's Institute of Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE).

Together, they will provide opportunities through co-working spaces, accelerators, and incubators to

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service business owners, independent contractors, and entrepreneurs in communities where there are

limited resources. Targeting 24 coal-impacted counties in western Pennsylvania, the project is expected

to help create 32 new businesses and 156 new jobs, retain 260 existing jobs, and leverage $20 million in

private investment.

$670,000 ARC grant to Catalyst Connection in Pittsburgh, PA, for PA MAKES (Pennsylvania

Manufacturing Assistance for Keystone Entrepreneurial Success). This initiative will be implemented in

over 48 coal-impacted counties across Pennsylvania and use mini grants that will support small and

medium manufacturing enterprises (SME’s) in an “economic gardening approach” that provides targeted

and direct assistance to companies. Catalyst Connection is the region’s Manufacturing Extension

Partnership (MEP), providing technical assistance to help businesses increase their competitiveness. PA

MAKES’ efforts to diversify and grow SMEs will include building SMEs’ capacity, improving efficiencies

and demand locally, stimulating job creation, and driving economic impact. To help SMEs become more

competitive, PA MAKES will help these enterprises make strategic business investments that will foster

market and product diversification and growth. Outcomes of the initiative are expected to include 42

businesses improved, 120 new jobs created, 1,200 jobs retained, and $15 million in leveraged private

investment.

$587,950 ARC grant to the Community College of Beaver County in Beaver, PA, for the Tristate Energy

and Advanced Manufacturing (TEAM) Consortium in order to launch a three-part, regional (Pennsylvania,

Ohio, and West Virginia) workforce development initiative. The initiative’s goal is to increase enrollment

and graduation from education and training programs to provide a supply of skilled workers for energy

and advanced manufacturing (E&AM) industries that are critical to the resurgence of the tristate region.

The initiative’s first step is to align relevant curricula among higher education institutions in the three

states to facilitate the creation of seamless pathways to jobs. The second is to provide the necessary

online access to information and referrals to programs within E&AM, and the third builds on the success

of outreach and engagement practices that raise awareness of, change perceptions about, and increase

interest in pursuing occupations in targeted STEM manufacturing sectors. Within three years of

completion of this project all 120 participating businesses will be improved by upskilling their current

workforce and/or hiring new workers, 600 jobs will be created, 402 students will obtain employment,

752 workers will have higher skills, and eight new programs will be implemented. The grant builds on

work funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Chevron and takes advantage of an

agreement for developing the region’s shale resources signed in 2015 (and subsequently renewed) by the

Governors of the three participating states.

$72,000 ARC grant to the Pennsylvania Environmental Council in Pittsburgh, PA, for a feasibility study

assessing the uncompleted sections of the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail and the PA Wilds Loop. These two

trails are a part of the Industrial heartland Trails Coalition, which utilizes existing natural and cultural

assets in the region to diversify the local economies. Work will include right-of-way acquisition

assessments, community outreach, segment prioritizations, and identifying funding sources that will help

cover the costs of completing the final 210 miles in the trail system. The local communities have already

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seen the benefits of a burgeoning tourism sector from recently completed trail sections. A previous

POWER grant is supporting entrepreneurship activities in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

$40,000 ARC grant to SEDA-Council of Governments in Lewisburg, PA, for a feasibility study of

broadband access in four central Pennsylvania counties (Clinton, Lycoming, Northumberland, Union). The

study will assess current broadband needs in the four-county region and review existing infrastructure

assets, both public and private. With this data, three communities in each county found to likely benefit

the most from increased access to broadband will be selected for further implementation projects. The

study will also help create a model Request For Proposals (RFP) that can be used for future

implementation projects.

TENNESSEE

$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Volunteer Energy Cooperative in Decatur, TN, for the Internet of Things

(IoT) Innovation Ecosystem Project. This project involves the buildout of an Internet of Things ecosystem

with three components: an IoT technology platform, innovation partners, and an entrepreneurial

ecosystem. Volunteer Energy Cooperative (VEC) is developing the IoT technology platform by deploying

fiber optic broadband and smart grid technology to improve real time management of power supply and

demand. These investments will drive the prototyping of technology solutions by innovation partners like

Tennessee Tech University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory. Viable

solutions can be further developed and commercialized by entrepreneurial clients of the Biz Foundry and

other entrepreneur centers in the Launch Tennessee network, itself a prior POWER grantee. An IoT

innovation ecosystem holds the promise of utilizing local utility infrastructure to expand rural broadband

access and to generate new businesses and jobs from an emerging "data economy." Anticipated

outcomes of deployment include $4.4 million of additional grid improvements by VEC, 416 households

improved by subscribing to fiber broadband service, 22 businesses improved by subscribing to fiber

broadband service, 250 households improved by subscribing to load management service, and 13

businesses improved by subscribing to load management service.

$68,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union in Kingsport, TN, to underwrite a

study for developing an affordable, flexible loan program called Funding the Future. The program will

focus on providing accessible financing to residents in a 17-county area across Kentucky, Tennessee, and

West Virginia for in-demand certificate training programs. Despite being hit by the decline of the coal

industry, there exists a demand for good-paying jobs in the service area including welders, line

technicians, and commercial truck drivers. Current loan programs at the state and federal level are limited

in what they can offer for certificate-granting programs and are restrictive in what can be paid for using

loan funds. Funding the Future looks to fill the existing funding gap by providing flexible loans for indemand programs that can also be used to cover living expenses and tools of the trade, as well as tuition

and books.

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VIRGINIA

$2,500,000 ARC grant to Virginia Community Capital in Christiansburg, VA, for Impact Appalachia: A

Market-Making Fund for Central Appalachia. The project will fill critical capital gaps to strengthen Central

Appalachia’s economy and accelerate market development for a six-state region (Kentucky, North

Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). Impact Appalachia will support business

development and advance emerging sectors in the region by acting as an entrepreneurial ecosystem

coordinator to increase the region’s readiness and capacity to attract and absorb capital. It will provide

grant-like funds to fill critical gaps in the investment pipeline and will serve as an investment vehicle

providing capital to investment-ready businesses. It will also launch an impact investment fund that will

raise and deploy affordable capital to expand essential infrastructure and invest in job-creating

businesses that build local wealth and increase the number of quality jobs. The project is anticipated to

improve 15 communities, leverage $111 million of private capital, and create or retain 649 jobs.

$917,315 ARC grant to the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission in Duffield, VA, to conduct Project

Intersection, a new regional 200-acre industrial site in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia.

LENOWISCO will partner with the Norton Industrial Development Authority and Lonesome Pine Regional

Industrial Facilities Authority in developing the site on abandoned mine land. The ARC grant will be

paired with a portion of an already awarded grant from the Abandon Mine Lands (AML) Pilot program of

the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Project

activities will yield a highly visible, highly desirable, regional industrial and business site. Project

Intersection is situated at the junction of U.S. highways 23 and 58A, with the highest cumulative nonInterstate traffic volume in far southwestern Virginia. No comparable combination of available land and

transportation infrastructure exists in that part of the state. The development of Project Intersection aids

the effort to foster diversification and rejuvenation of the regional economy, luring private investment

and new employment opportunities. The initial phase of development will create 75 jobs and an initial

private capital investment of $10 million as a result of companies locating at the site.

WEST VIRGINIA

$2,034,667 ARC grant to Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV, to support its Social

Enterprise and Economic Diversification-Leveraging Investment for Transformation (SEED-LIFT) project.

The project’s primary objective is to remove barriers to participating in the workforce. SEED-LIFT plans

to improve the education and skill-sets of residents to ensure workforce readiness within a four-county

region in West Virginia (Lincoln, McDowell, Mingo, Wayne). It will strengthen cultural assets (especially

coal community downtowns) by investing in community-based real estate development through socialentrepreneur oriented revitalization concepts; and will continue to grow Coalfield Development

Corporation’s network of employers leading to reemployment training and job placement services. Lastly,

the project will recapitalize existing social enterprises to expand job creation and business development.

At the project’s completion, there will be seven communities improved, 60 jobs created, three new

businesses created, revenues increased by 35 percent, 50,000 square feet of redeveloped downtown

space, and $7 million in leveraged private investment. The project builds on the demonstrated success of

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Coalfield’s previous POWER grant and its innovative 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills

workforce development model. Additional funding is being provided by the Claude Worthington

Benedum Foundation.

$1,800,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Forest Products Cooperative, Inc. (WVFPC) in Princeton,

WV, to foster a more competitive forest products-based industry in an interstate region centered at

Princeton, West Virginia. WVFPC plans to develop a skilled, competitive workforce capable of utilizing

advanced manufacturing equipment and processes for the manufacture of secondary forest products.

Training will be provided through a partnership with the Robert C. Byrd Center for Advanced

Manufacturing at Marshall University. The Cooperative will also encourage business development and

entrepreneurial activities from the pool of trained members. These two initiatives will lead to the

formation of a forest products hub that will allow businesses to be independent designers and

manufacturers but at the same time capture the efficiencies of scale that are usually only afforded to

larger companies. The resulting numbers at the project’s completion are expected to include 50 new

businesses created, 250 new jobs created, ten existing jobs retained, and $4 million in leveraged private

investment, 50 businesses improved, 1,000 workers improved, and 40 students improved. The U.S.

Forest Service will provide manufacturing space for WVFPC.

$1,499,175 ARC grant to the Marshall University Research Corporation in huntington, WV, for the

Creating Opportunities for Recovery Employment (CORE) Program. The program will develop a regional

system to provide treatment and recovery services, job training, and placement assistance for displaced

workers suffering from the effects of the downturn in coal production and the opioid epidemic in rural,

southern West Virginia. Components of this large-scale project include three hubs offering peer recovery

coaches and job training and placement, six Drug Free Moms and Babies sites, three new programs

offering medication assisted treatment by health care providers, and a network of private sector

partnerships. Other innovative aspects of the CORE Program feature development of social enterprises

to create additional sustainable employment opportunities to those in recovery and leveraging

sustainable investment in health care delivery services by developing a “pay for success” or other

innovative financing model. Key partners in the project include the Region 1 Workforce Development

Board, the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership, and Coalfield Development Corporation. As a result of the

CORE Program, of 1,500 participating individuals, 850 will gain improvements in the form of

documented placement in a new job or the retention of an existing job. Of 250 participating businesses,

83 will benefit, as measured by the successful hiring of at least one CORE client. Sixteen jobs will be

created for professionals working in the partner agencies. Approximately three new business social

enterprises will be formed, providing employment opportunity and social returns for their communities.

Additional funding is being provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

$1,370,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIF) in Shepherdstown, WV, for the

Downtown Appalachia Redevelopment Initiative (REDI). The project seeks to create healthy downtown

commercial districts with robust, resilient local economies in coal-impacted West Virginia towns by

catalyzing downtown revitalization. Through an integrated, comprehensive set of strategies, REDI, in

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collaboration with the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, will identify, grow, and

support property owners, private developers, and community development groups who will invest in and

manage their properties to benefit their communities, bringing about the return of healthy real estate

markets and local economies, as well as creating economic opportunities. REDI will drive sustainable

economic development downtown by building local capacity among private and public sector

participants, enabling catalytic commercial real estate redevelopment projects through targeted technical

assistance, and providing financial packaging, structuring, and equity-like financing for projects. In

addition to providing technical assistance, NCIF will launch a Downtown Appalachia Redevelopment Loan

Fund as a financial resource for eligible property owners. Expected initiative outcomes include: five

communities served through the revitalization of significant buildings, five businesses improved through

increased property values and/or revenues, $8 million in leveraged private investment (LPI), 80 jobs

retained, and 80 jobs created. Additional financial support for REDI is being provided by the Claude

Worthington Benedum Foundation.

$749,001 ARC grant to BridgeValley Community and Technical College in South Charleston, WV, to

develop a Construction, teleCommunications, and Energy (CCE) Workforce Training Center based in

Montgomery, West Virginia. This center will provide workforce training in content areas identified by

industry partners that provide the job skills needed to obtain an entry-level position in the industry. The

center will also have hVAC and energy management coursework that will prepare students with the skills

needed to obtain employment in the hVAC industry and electrical metering departments of utility

companies. After completing eight weeks of training, students will be eligible for on-the-job training

experiences at partnering companies. Expected project outcomes include ten businesses improved

through access to skilled workforce and 202 workers/trainees improved through employment.

$100,000 ARC grant to West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey in Charleston, WV, for the State of

West Virginia Broadband Development hub. The grant will fund an online hub hosting information

concerning prospective broadband deployment in West Virginia. Initially ten counties and their

municipalities will have access to a broadband development hub that will host content related to

broadband deployment, including information on access, public rights-of-way, a database of currently

available assets, and draft contracts for dealing with service providers. Multiple agencies throughout the

state will contribute to the platform. The data collected throughout this process will then be used to

create a Guide to Broadband Development in West Virginia and a supplemental legal toolkit. Once the

initial ten counties’ broadband deployment needs have been addressed, access to the broadband

development hub will be extended to the rest of West Virginia. In addition to the POWER grant, an

additional $50,000 for the hub is being provided through special ARC funding for broadband work in

distressed West Virginia counties.

$100,000 ARC grant to Region II Development Council, Inc. in huntington, WV, for a strategic plan that

will analyze the feasibility and economic impact of potential heritage tourism projects along West Virginia

State Route 152, also known as the Appalachian heartland highway. The proposed study will be a

coordinated and comprehensive regional planning effort to create a tourism cluster that increases the

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chances of successfully restructuring the regional economy away from a reliance on the coal industry. A

top priority will be to study the construction of an Appalachian heartland Visitors Center at the

interchange of Route 152 and I-64.

$64,000 ARC grant to the National Coal heritage Area Authority in Oak hill, WV, to study natural and

cultural heritage assets of the Tug Fork River and the communities along its banks. The 159-mile river

runs through three states—Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia—and much of the region has been

heavily impacted by the decline of the coal industry. This study would lay the foundation for the

development of an outdoor recreation tourism sector by establishing the Tug Fork River as a recreational

water trail. GIS technology will be utilized to identify and mark potential river access points, mile

markers, and potential hazards. Local communities will be assisted in applying for Kentucky Blueway and

West Virginia Water Trail designations. The resulting plan will complement existing county and regional

efforts and elevate awareness of the region’s natural and cultural assets.

SPECIAL REGIONAL PROJECTS

$750,000 ARC grant to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of health

(NIh), and other federal partners to help continued collaborative research on effective interventions for

opioid use disorders and related diseases in rural Appalachian coal communities. Appalachia faces

disproportionate impacts from substance use disorders, as well as an increased risk for the spread of

associated diseases such as hIV and hepatitis C. As part of a multi-year Federal effort that aims to

implement and assess evidence-based interventions in rural areas, ARC funds will allow teams from the

University of Kentucky and West Virginia University to continue research focused on coal-impacted

communities in the Region. Successful completion of this effort will help establish and deploy best

practices in the prevention and treatment of opioid use, hIV, and hepatitis, especially within the context

of rural Appalachia.

$184,595 to Chamberlin/Dunn, LLC of Indianapolis, IN, for a contract to monitor and evaluate the

POWER Initiative thus far. In particular, contractors will work with ARC and its partners to determine the

extent to which POWER grantees funded in Fiscal Years 2015-2017 are progressing toward their stated

performance goals. Deliverables include monthly reports that provide a snapshot of grantee

performance during that period. The purpose is to highlight success stories, flag potential challenges,

and recommend technical assistance and training needs to ensure grantee success, particularly in

performance monitoring and evaluation.

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