News Article
Governor McDonnell Announces Awarding of $280,000 for the Building Collaborative Communities Program
Regional collaboration in distressed areas to spur economic development and job creation
Monday, October 03, 2011
Jeff Caldwell
Office of the Governor
RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced $280,000 in funding for four projects in Virginia through the Building Collaborative Communities program. The new initiative was created through a recommendation from the Governor's Commission on Job Creation, and is designed to assist regions in creating and sustaining new economic opportunities in economically-distressed areas across Virginia.
"This first-year initiative is supporting projects that create the regional collaboration that is needed to spark growth and development in these economically-distressed areas," said Governor McDonnell. "This initial commitment is expected to leverage significant local and private resources within the communities, and stimulate job creation and economic development in these regions."
"The Building Collaborative Communities Program is an important part of our effort to help support local and regional economic development efforts throughout Virginia. I am pleased that we have been able to provide support to these important programs which will help create jobs, promote tourism, and help support critical educational projects in the Commonwealth. I hope that we will be able to build on the successes of this program in the years to come and help provide needed support to other worthwhile regional economic development programs just like these," commented Lieutenant Governor Bolling, Virginia's Chief Jobs Creation Officer.
The following projects were awarded funding through the Building Collaborative Communities program:
Mecklenburg County, in partnership with the counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Lunenburg, Nottoway and the City of Emporia, Commonwealth TransTech Marketing Alliance, $168,000
Southwest Regional Recreation Authority, Spearhead Trails Adventure Tourism, $70,000
Virginia's region 2000 Economic Development Council, Entrepreneurship Initiative for Higher Education, $12,000
Virginia's First Regional Industrial Facility Authority, New River Valley Commerce Park Revitalization as Virginia Trade Port Base Campus, $30,000
Building Collaborative Communities is a broad-based program that brings to bear resources from a number of state entities, including the Lieutenant Governor's Office, Senior Economic Advisor, Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Virginia Community College System and other agencies as appropriate. The Commonwealth is providing $200,000 to support this program in FY2012, along with an additional $40,000 from the Virginia Community College System for proposals targeting workforce enhancements and $40,000 from the Department of Housing and Community Development for proposals supporting entrepreneurship development.
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For additional information contact Ibbie Hedrick at 804-225-2487 or ibbie.hedrick@ltgov.virginia.gov.
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