Seven projects, which will spur economic and community development in northern New Hampshire, will receive grants from the Northern Border Regional Commission, according to Gov. Maggie Hassan and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
Totaling $1,150,716, the seven grants will be awarded to the Franconia Ski Club and state-owned Cannon Mountain Ski Area; the town of Northumberland; the New Hampshire Department of Transportation; TwinState MakerSpace Inc.; River Valley Community College; the Grafton County Economic Development Council and Plymouth State University.
“The Northern Border Regional Commission is a critical regional collaboration that has a strong tradition of supporting economic and community development in some of our most economically distressed areas,” Hassan said. “Each of these projects will promote business development, job creation and economic growth across the North Country by addressing infrastructure and transportation needs, boosting our travel and tourism industry, supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening workforce development efforts. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners across the region and at the federal level to keep New Hampshire’s economy moving in the right direction.”
“Today’s announcement is great news for job creation and the economy in northern New Hampshire,” Shaheen said. “These seven projects will support small business growth while addressing important infrastructure needs that are crucial for economic development in the North Country. These grants, and the Northern Border Regional Commission’s continued work, are helping to rejuvenate North Country communities and businesses that have faced significant economic challenges.”
Of the slate of approved grants, a joint application by the Franconia Ski Club and the state-owned Cannon Mountain Ski Area was selected for a $150,716 grant that will help upgrade the new Mittersill alpine ski racing and training slopes as well as install complementary snow making machines. When completed, the Mittersill project will significantly increase the capacity of Cannon Mountain to host ski race training and draw athletes from throughout the eastern United States.
The commission approved a $250,000 grant for the town of Northumberland to help fund municipally owned water and wastewater lines to the former Groveton paper mill site; a property now owned by a private developer seeking to prepare the site for continued industrial investment.
The Department of Transporation will receive $250,000 to relocate a maintenance shed in Dixville Notch, immediately adjacent to the proposed Balsams Resort development project. Relocation of the shed is part of $100 million in private investment that will significantly upgrade the Balsam’s property into a four seasons destination resort and create up to 1,7000 new jobs in Coos County.
The TwinState MakerSpace Inc’s application was approved for $250,000. The organization will use the grant to partially fund the purchase and renovation of downtown Claremont’s derelict sawtooth building into productive space that will support entrepreneurs in the science, technology, engineering, math and artistic fields.
River Valley Community College was awarded $150,000 to construct improvements to the former Lebanon College. The college’s purchase and renovation of the space will enable downtown Lebanon, to maintain an education presence and to build customized training opportunities for the Upper Valley’s nascent technology sector.
The Grafton County Economic Development Council will use $45,000 in NBRC funds to construct a second story pedestrian bridge that will link the two separated business incubator buildings that it owns in Lebanon with North Country Council in partnership with Dartmouth College’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer.
Plymouth State University and partners will receive $55,000 to capitalize their Bienvenue New Hampshire program that provides French translation, marketing, educational opportunities and bilingual support for front line hospitality organizations in Sullivan, Grafton, Coos and Carroll counties.
Created by the US Congress in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership whose mission is to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In its short five-year history, the NBRC has awarded seventy-five grants amounting over $14.2 million.