Claremont receives building reuse grant

By CIGI SPARKS, OBSERVER NEWS ENTERPRISE

The City of Claremont was recently awarded $240,000 in grant funds from the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The funds will be used toward the state's Building Reuse Program and will support the reuse of a 10,000 sq. ft. building that is owned by Prysmian Cables and Systems USA, LLC.

"The City is grateful that the Rural Infrastructure Authority saw the benefit in this project," said Mayor Shawn R. Brown. "The Building Reuse Program is a great example of the state, local governments, and businesses working together to better our communities."

The building that is set to be renovated was once home to Fiber Optical Preform operation upheld by Prysmian that previously idled in 2003.

The renovations will allow the operation to resume, creating 24 full-time jobs. The refurbished building will be a key part of Prysmian's 1.2 million sq. ft. manufacturing campus in Claremont.

"Any time that our businesses are expanding, I think that's a huge benefit to Claremont," said Claremont City Manager Catherine Renbarger. "I hope we'll have the opportunity to apply for grants like this again in the future." 

The Building Reuse Program, under the Rural Grants/Programs Section of the N.C. Department of Commerce, provides grants to local governments to support the reuse of vacant buildings and lead to the creation of new, full-time jobs.

For more information on the Building Reuse Program, visit www.nccommerce.com.