Eight 'essential' community facilities to receive $5.4M in USDA funding
Courtesy / Kennebec Valley YMCA
The Kennebec Valley YMCA in Augusta is one of eight USDA Rural Development recipients to receive $5.4 million for facility improvements.
First responder, school and community and other essential facilities will benefit from a U.S. Department of Agriculture investment of $5,434,400 in rural Maine.
The loans and grants for eight essential community facilities are expected to benefit over 730,000 residents of the state, according to a news release Wednesday.
The financing is being awarded as follows.
• Children’s Discovery Museum, in Waterville, will receive a community facilities loan of $692,500 and grant of $67,500. The investment will be used to purchase the building and make renovations located at 7 Eustis Parkway in Waterville. The museum will provide high-quality exhibits and programs that children and families can enjoy while promoting social, cognitive, problem solving and other developmental skills. The building will serve as the new location of the museum and will meet the current needs of the museum as well as the future needs of the museum and community.
• Regional Transportation Program Inc., in Westbrook, will receive a loan of $2.7 million to construct a new office building and garage on the property that the program acquired in 2019. The new location will provide them with the space, efficiencies and location necessary to meet the organization's and clients' needs. The program was established in 1976 as a small nonprofit, paratransit agency designated by the state of Maine to provide specialized transportation services for the disabled, elderly, low-income and general public residents throughout Cumberland County. With a fleet of 29 lift equipped buses and vans, 30 agency-certified drivers, and over 20 volunteer drivers, the program provides more than 600 rides per day to individuals who need reliable transportation for medical appointments, grocery shopping, work and other places of importance.
• The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, in Littleton, will receive a grant of $50,000 to improve their community center located on Tribal Lands in Houlton. The facility is utilized by tribal members of all ages and provides for many essential community services such as after-school activities, early-childhood programs, community meetings, cultural activities, domestic violence awareness and training activities, celebrations and a summer feeding program. The facility needs to be renovated and expanded to provide adequate space and food preparation for tribal activities and services. Renovations include new ADA compliant restrooms, sprinkler and fire alarm system, electrical and lighting upgrades, exterior painting and parking lot paving. A 40-by-60 foot addition will be constructed that will provide the needed space, appliances and equipment for a commercial kitchen.
• Piscataquis Regional YMCA, in Dover-Foxcroft, will receive a grant of $67,400 to upgrade the dehumidification system and other components of the facility's heating ventilation and air conditioning system. These systems are antiquated, inefficient and no longer function properly. The project will result in significant energy savings and improved air quality.
• Kennebec Valley YMCA, in Augusta, will receive a grant of $42,000 to provide funding assistance to purchase equipment and complete necessary renovations to their facility. The Kennebec Valley YMCA plans to buy desk vestibules, security cameras, new signs, lighting fixtures, updated fire alarm panel and lighting control panel. The completion of these renovations and equipment purchases will result in a significant reduction in energy usage and will allow the YMCA to better serve the public through the various health, fitness, child care and personal development programs that are offered.
• Saint George Volunteer Fire Station, in Saint George, will receive a loan of $145,000 and grant of $65,000 to complete a previously funded rural development project that encountered unexpected escalating construction costs. The training facility, also known as a "burn house," addresses the real-time safety concerns that firefighters face on the job. In addition to classroom training, firefighters need a 'live' place to train as a team; and the burn house provides an opportunity for on-the-job training. The facility will be a 2,100-square-foot, two-story structure constructed of poured concrete with an attached three-story tower. There will be two burn rooms with ceramic tiles to protect the concrete, and the interior walls will be movable to change the configuration for different training scenarios. There will also be a hatch in the floor of the second story to practice confined space rescues. The training facility will be used by firefighting personnel throughout Knox County.
• Fiddlehead School, in Gray, will receive a loan of $1.555 million for the school to buy a building to accommodate a growing student base. Fiddlehead School's enrollment has now reached a point where they have outgrown their existing space. The new facility is a single-story, 14,500-square-foot building on 2.25 acres in Gray's downtown village center. Along with adequate classroom space, the facility also has a performing arts room which is ideal for the school's curriculum. The school serves 15 districts throughout Cumberland County.
• Fryeburg Recreation Department, in Fryeburg, will receive a grant of $50,000 to provide funding assistance to purchase equipment and complete safety renovations to the community center. The facility was recently constructed but equipment is still needed to outfit the kitchen space. The completion of safety renovations such as the installation of a generator, security system, and first aid equipment is still needed.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for community facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. The assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, click here.
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