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Saturday, October 27, 2007
By Kathy Still
The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community
Revitalization Commission approved more than $14 million for regional economic
development projects during its Southwest Virginia
visit on Thursday.
"We met our goal of making strategic
investments," said state Sen. William Wampler, R-Bristol.
The commission met at Mountain
Empire Community
College and granted $6.1 million to develop the Southwest Virginia Artisan
Center in Abingdon. The
total cost to create the center, to be housed at Virginia Highlands
Community College, is $17
million.
The commission contibuted to the project because
studies show the 29,000-square-foot center could attract tourists to the
region. It will house gallery space, retail areas and offices for The Crooked
Road and the Round the Mountain artist organization.
Estimates show the center could create 202 jobs
during the construction phase.
"We put a lot of money into that to get it
started," state Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Lebanon, said after the meeting.
The Scott County Economic Development Authority
garnered $4.3 million to build the Duffield
Regional Technology
Center. The total cost of
the center will be $7.2 million and has the potential to create 125 to 150 jobs.
Tazewell County received
$1.7 million to develop its Bluestone Technology Park
between Bluefield
and Tazewell. The park will include 180 acres for industrial and business
sites. A work force training facility, an inn and conference center, housing
and recreation are also planned for the site. Total cost of the project is
$13.6 million.
"I thought the region did great," said
Delegate Terry Kilgore, R-Gate
City.
The Wise County Industrial Development Authority
received $450,000 for work at the Lonesome
Pine Technology
Center and $1 million to
develop an energy research facility.
Money for the research center is contingent upon
matching funds from other sources. It is designed for research of coal
gasification and sulfur reduction systems. The goal of the project is to
develop a regional cluster of coal-based fuel industries. It has the potential
to create 200 jobs.
The Southwest
Virginia Higher
Education Center
garnered $400,000 to develop an energy research and development program.
The Cumberland Plateau Planning Commission and
Bristol Virginia Utilities together received $6 million to continue effort to
create broadband fiber-optic cable throughout the region.
The region’s farmers, who are coping with drought
conditions, also got a boost from the commission. Wampler asked the group to
approve $500,000 in drought assistance for farmers in the burley
tobacco-producing counties. The money is to be distributed through the Farm
Services Administration and farmers must apply for the relief money.
Many on the commission opposed making the money
available for farmers, citing an unwillingness to use commission resources for
projects that did not promote economic development.
"We can’t wait on the federal
government," Wampler said. "We can’t wait on the state government.
This is all about keeping the family farm in the family for another
generation."
Russell County farmer Steve Banner, who serves on the commission, said
the money will help farmers feed livestock.
"It’s intent was to show farmers we realize
their importance to the commission," Banner said. "The fact that
we’re here is a direct result of farmers."
The commission is funded through Virginia’s settlement with tobacco
companies. The state used the money to promote economic development and to help
farmers move away from the tobacco crop toward other money-making agriculture.
"In Virginia,
we actually put money back on the family farm," Kilgore said.
http://www.wcmh.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-10-28-0015.html
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