By Madison Lipe for THE PAPER
The City of Morganton has received a $1 million grant for its Greenway Rehabilitation Project. The grant funding could offset nearly half of the project’s total cost.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce awarded the grant to the city under the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program. The funding is first-come, first-served and designed to help and assist with infrastructure that serves small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, especially in Western North Carolina, and this first round of infrastructure grants marks another important milestone on the road to recovery,” said Gov. Josh Stein in a news release. “I thank the legislature for funding these infrastructure investments.”
City Manager Sally Sandy said that when city staff first learned about the funding, they immediately thought about the greenway boardwalk. She said the city is still working to secure FEMA funding for a new boardwalk, but there was concern it might not cover the full cost. As a result, the council voted in May to apply for an additional grant.
“Immediately we thought of the boardwalk because we have a whole lot of small businesses that basically, it is their door,” Sandy said, particularly for Town Tavern and the salon, which depend on foot traffic from the boardwalk.
The old boardwalk has been demolished after being damaged by Hurricane Helene, and the new boardwalk is in its design phase with Areté Engineers. The company operates an office in River Village, one of the areas where businesses were hit hardest by the storm’s flooding.
Sandy said the design is about 15% to 20% complete, with a goal of finishing it by late summer. The city won’t know the exact cost of the new boardwalk until the project goes out to bid, but Sandy estimated it could range from $2 million to $2.5 million.
Sandy said that the city’s building inspectors have been working with tenants to get them back into spaces that have been remodeled. Other businesses have decided not to return. New tenants will be easier to find with the boardwalk.
“Obviously, we thought this grant and getting the greenway and all of that back is a draw for people and the businesses,” Sandy said.
“We’re super excited,” Sandy said, noting that applying for the grant was a team effort. Special Projects Manager Rob Winkler helped gather from businesses the information needed for the application, and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments helped write the grant.
The program also provided funding to the towns of Gamewell and Clyde, as well as Chimney Rock Village.
Madison Lipe is the municipal reporter for The Paper. She can be reached at 828-445-8595 or madison@thepaper.media.