Health care and job training among targets for $20.5M in federal grants in Maine
FILE PHOTO / COURTESY AGC MAINE
AGC Maine was awarded federal funding to expand its Maine Construction Academy Immersion Program, offering students classroom and hands-on instruction
Health care, job training, business startups, tourism and municipal infrastructure are among the improvement projects across Maine that will receive a total of $20,588,173 in federal funds.
The money comes from the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Fiscal Year 2025 Catalyst Program and Timber for Transit Program and will support projects aimed at strengthening economic opportunity in communities across 13 Maine counties, according to a news release.
“This funding will help improve water infrastructure and roadways in communities across our state while strengthening our workforce and creating economic opportunities for Mainers," U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, said in a joint statement.
Health care
Mount Desert Island Hospital was granted $1 million toward its project to expand and modernize its Bar Harbor campus and renovate a newly acquired facility in Southwest Harbor. The project will expand the emergency department, upgrade surgical suites, enhance site infrastructure for stormwater management and establish a community health hub, strengthening integrated care and workforce capacity.
In the Washington County town of Lubec, the Regional Medical Center was awarded $800,000 toward a project to construct a 7,400-square-foot clinic in East Machias, expanding primary care, dental and behavioral health services and telemedicine.
The Harry E. Davis Partnership for Children's Oral Health, serving Androscoggin, Oxford and Somerset counties, will receive $499,613 to develop customized training for non-dental providers, enabling them to integrate essential oral health services into primary care and community paramedicine programs.
The Maine Community College System will use its $497,537 grant toward the cost to train 250 certified nursing assistants, medical assistants and emergency medical technicians.
Job training
Other job training projects include a plan by Maine Outdoor Brands to use a $500,000 grant for development of training programs and to increase awareness of industry opportunities, including a centralized workforce hub.
The Associated General Contractors of Maine will get $497,961 to expand its Maine Construction Academy Immersion Program, providing certifications, hands-on construction experience and job placement support for at-risk youth in rural counties.
The Maine Department of Labor will use its to establish at least 15 new apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and enroll 375 apprentices in construction and manufacturing across eight counties.
Tourism, recreation
In Piscataquis County, Friends of the Mountain was awarded $500,000 toward the $6 million cost of restoring and expanding infrastructure at the 1,700-acre Big Moose Mountain Ski Area.
The Arnold Trail Snowmobile Network in Franklin County was awarded $403,409 to construct a three-bay snow groomer barn for storage and maintenance of its three Piston Bully 400 groomers and equipment. The network maintains 170 miles of trails.
The Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce will get $303,150 to support a “Welcome to Rangeley Lakes Region” initiative for tourism, workforce and community engagement, including an ambassador program, marketing and outreach, visitor center upgrades and relocation resources to attract and retain residents.
Startup support
In Somerset County, Main Street Skowhegan will get $500,000 toward the cost to renovate a downtown building in into a shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator, for career training, entrepreneurship support and business incubation.
The Eastern Maine Development Corp. will use its $500,000 grant toward a project to provide loans to small business growth in distressed counties of eastern Maine.
The Midcoast Council of Governments will receive $300,000 toward a project to capitalize a revolving loan fund that will support early-stage and growing businesses in Lincoln and Knox counties, as well as select towns in Waldo County, in value-added food production, fishing, aquaculture and the working waterfront.
Children’s home
In Penobscot County, Hilltop School, dating back over 150 years, will use its $227,735 grant toward a project to restore the roofing and dormers of its facility.
Engineered wood
The University of Maine's Advanced Structures & Composites Center was awarded $1 million toward a project to maintain unimproved road infrastructure by developing trenchless slip-lining technology using 3D-printed wood fiber diffusers and glued-laminated timber bridge decking.
Inland Woods and Trails will receive $600,480 toward its Maine West Timber Innovation for Recreation Project to enhance outdoor recreation infrastructure in Oxford County with prototype trail bridges, boardwalks and wood composite culverts.
The Aroostook County town of Island Falls was awarded $2.808 million toward a project o support the creation of a community park with a pedestrian bridge constructed of glue laminated timber made from spruce and hemlock from the town’s forest.
The city of Presque Isle will receive $2.5 million toward a project to support interior construction of a new passenger terminal, integrating domestically sourced mass timber for framing, roof decking and a front canopy.
Municipalities
- Gardiner, Kennebec County: $1 million to upgrade aging infrastructure at the Gardiner Wastewater Treatment Facility and Maine Avenue Pump Station.
- Presque Isle Utilities District, Aroostook County: $1 million to replace 4,500 linear feet of aging watermain, along with associated hydrants, valves, and street distribution connections.
- Boothbay Region Water District: $1 million to extend a water line along Barter’s Island Road.
- Paris Utility District, Oxford County: $500,000 to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure.
- North Haven, Knox County: $100,000 to design upgrades to its aging wastewater treatment system.
- Waldoboro, Lincoln County: $1 million to construct a booster station and replace a resin filter for its municipal water system.
- Beals, Washington County: $482,236 to expand and fortify the storm-vulnerable Beals Town Landing.
- Cherryfield Town Square, Washington County: $500,000 to renovate a deteriorating 10,000-square-foot building.
- Thomaston, Knox County: $497,640 to modernize and preserve a downtown building.
- GrowSmart Maine: $388,700 to support economically distressed rural municipalities Calais, Danforth, Houlton, Machias, Mexico and Van Buren—in developing strategic economic growth plans.
- Island Institute: $181,712 to develop adaptation implementation plans for working waterfront communities in Waldo, Washington and Hancock counties.
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