Virginia Tobacco Commission approves additional projects, foundation
Virginia’s Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved $1.13 million in grant funding for eight Southwest Virginia projects and 15 project grants totaling $5.16 million for southern Virginia during its meeting Thursday.
The Commission awarded funds to support a variety of agriculture, tourism, and business development projects while also providing ongoing support for community colleges across Southern and Southwest Virginia through its Workforce Financial Aid program.
In addition to these recipients, a new and notable Commission grant was the $400,000 awarded to the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia (FASS-VA) to cover the years of operating expenses.
This nonprofit foundation will parter with the commission to assist communities in its service area, according to a written statement.
It is intended to help the commission by:
• Securing additional resources for the footprint that the commission cannot get on its own. Many important funding opportunities require or prefer a non-profit to be the applicant.
• Serving as a resource that the commission can direct applicants to for assistance in developing their projects when they are not yet ready for TRRC support.
• Applying for grants from the commission and other funders to take on critical projects identified by the commission when no other partner is willing or suitable.
• Taking on administrative duties that the commission’s status as a political subdivision makes difficult or impossible.
Among the Southwest Virginia projects were:
• $390,000 to Wythe County IDA to rehabilitate a downtown building.
• $350,000 to Washington County IDA to create an industrial site in Glade Highlands Industrial Park.
• $106,250 to The Crooked Road for an economic impact assessment, a facility condition analysis and the creating a part-time venue coordinator position.
• $75,000 to town of St. Paul for tourism and marketing efforts.
• $50,000 to Buchanan County IDA for phase one of a feasibility study to use underground mine water for a data center.
"The projects supported by the commission here in Floyd demonstrate the wide range of ways the commission can help our communities grow and prosper," said Chairman, Del. Will Morefield. "I am particularly excited to see the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia get started. We have heard from our communities that capacity is their biggest barrier to success, and that with additional resources they could develop more and better projects, pull down additional federal funds and more. The foundation will provide that additional capacity and empower our local partners to dream big while serving as a key partner in the commission's mission to bring economic prosperity to every corner of its footprint."
