Tuesday March 19th, 2024 5:25AM

3 northeast Georgia communities awarded development grants

3 northeast Georgia communities have picked up a total of over $2 million in federal assistance to help grow their local economies.
 
Cornelia, Habersham County and Lumpkin County are among 59 local government entities in Georgia to get the annual Georgia Community Development Block Grant awards this year.  Governor Nathan Deal's office announced the 2017 recipients Thursday morning.
 
"The CDBG program addresses critical community needs by providing cities and counties with the necessary resources to improve overall quality of life and revitalize the local economies that need it the most," Deal said in a news release.
 
The city of Cornelia received a $750,000 award for use on a $3.03 million sewer and drainage improvement project in the Old Cleveland Road and Wayside/Foster Street neighborhood.  
 
"The project consists of installing 3,900 linear feet of 8-inch sanitary sewer, 2,700 linear feet of 10-inch sanitary sewer, 22 manholes, and 1,300 linear feet of 6-inch
PVC service laterals," a project description from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs stated.
 
Habersham County has proposed using its $750,000 to help expand the county senior center with a new wellness center building.  The move is expected to create space in the main building for the center's other services.
 
Lumpkin County also proposes using its grant toward expanding its senior center.  The $595,726 award will fund about 90 percent of the work., according to DCA.
 
"CDBG grants help lay the groundwork for future growth for our communities, and are often leveraged with other funding to help them prepare for economic development opportunities," DCA Commissioner Camila Knowles said.
 
The grants support projects that create jobs and assist citizens with low and moderate incomes in small and rural communities, according to the state.  Award recipients are required to finish the projects within 2 years of receiving the awards.
 
The federal funding is administered to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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