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The City of Albemarle has been awarded a Smart Communities Grant by ElectriCities of North Carolina, providing funding for local economic development projects. The City of Albemarle will use the grant towards funding for the King Alley improvement project.

Smart Communities Grants, an economic development assistance tool from ElectriCities of North Carolina, was established nearly a decade ago to help public power communities across the state attract and retain commercial and industrial customers. Each year, ElectriCities offers the Smart Communities Grant Program to members looking to revitalize their local community through economic development projects.

“The City of Albemarle is pleased to once again partner with ElectriCities on economic development in the city,” said Mayor Ronnie Michael.  “Albemarle is one of the cities that comprise ElectriCities in North
Carolina.  Together we are always looking to market our city for business development or relocation. Revitalization of our downtown is underway with many projects ongoing and others starting soon.  We look to see what the future brings to our city.”

King Alley, running adjacent to the property at 119 W. Main St. at the former Falling Rivers Gallery, is in the process of being converted into a pedestrian-only space, with plans to install lighting, outdoor seating and other landscape and hardscape improvements to provide an inviting space for the public to enjoy. In addition, the parking area adjacent to the pedestrian-only area will be repaved and restriped to provide ample parking to accommodate employees of neighboring businesses.

“These grants are incredibly valuable for public power cities and towns as they undertake economic development projects unique to their local communities,” said Brenda Daniels, ElectriCities Economic Development Manager. “The Smart Communities Grant Program is meant to be flexible to meet the needs of cities and towns of all sizes, helping them bring projects to fruition that will channel economic growth for years to come.”

Under the program, North Carolina public power communities are eligible to receive up to a $5,000 matching grant to be used toward local economic development projects. Grant applications are evaluated based on the project’s anticipated impact on – and benefit to – the local community, its residents, and the city or town itself.

About ElectriCities of North Carolina
ElectriCities is the energy behind public power. For more than 50 years, ElectriCities has helped North Carolina public power communities provide safe, reliable and affordable power to their customers. ElectriCities serves more than 1.2 million people in North Carolina public power communities, including 32 members of the N.C. Eastern Municipal Agency (NCEMPA) and 19 members of N.C. Municipal Power Agency #1 (NCMPA1). Learn more at www.electricities.org.