$2M earmarked for job training, infrastructure upgrades
The Northern Border Regional Commission is awarding eight organizations in the state $1,996,186 in grant funding for infrastructure upgrades and to provide job-training skills to workers in northern, western and central Maine
The NBRC is a federal-state partnership that was created by Congress in 2008 to help address economic hardships and to encourage private sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
The funding for projects in Maine is awarded through the NBRC’s 2016 Economic & Infrastructure Development Investment Award program.
“These projects will help spur development, grow our local economy and support job creation in northern, western and central Maine,” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Rep. Bruce Poliquin said in a statement about the funding. “The Northern Border Regional Commission is an important source of investment for Maine communities, and we appreciate their continued efforts to support worthwhile projects across the state.”
The organizations receiving grant funding are:
- Town of Pittsfield: $250,000, to help replace an obsolete and failing sewer line. This project will allow a business to expand to the former SAS Industrial Complex.
- Central Maine Community College: $250,000, to renovate and expand CMCC’s precision manufacturing lab. This project will support the retention and expansion of precision manufacturing in the area by providing local workers with skills and training.
- City of Auburn: $246,186, for building acquisition and demolition, construction of a new Riverway Road, changes to a floodplain boundary, the creation of a new 68-space parking lot and the creation of new buildable space for commercial and residential uses.
- Maine Department of Transportation: $250,000, to upgrade the Sheridan Rail Bridge on the state-owned Madawaska subdivision. The upgrade will allow for 286,000 pound rail car loadings at 25 miles per hour track speeds, with 286,000 pounds being the current modern standard for rail cars in the national system.
- Snow Pond Center for the Arts: $250,000, to upgrade infrastructure on and around the Sidney-based Center’s amphitheater and build a new Expanded Learning Center.
- Maine Department of Labor: $250,000, to help Maine companies with apprenticeship, classroom, on-the-job and pre-hiring training services. This project will provide financial assistance for competitive “upskilling” in order to advance a minimum of 25 companies and 125 workers.
- Northern Maine Regional Airport: $250,000, to help construct a new hanger at the airport in Presque Isle that will primarily be used for medevac aircraft, but also to attract business aviation clients.
- Eastern Slope Airport: $250,000, to construct a new aircraft hangar in order to attract new seasonal visitors and outside investors to the Fryeburg airport.
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