WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program has awarded $3,155,100 in and loans to entities throughout the state of Maine.
“The USDA Rural Development program provides vital opportunities for rural Mainers to enhance community services and boost economic growth,” Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. “This funding will make possible a variety of rural community construction and renovation projects, and we applaud recipient groups for their initiative and commitment to improving the lives of the Mainers they serve."
The funding is distributed as follows:
• $1,500,000 loan to the Scarborough Public Library Corporation for construction of a one-story 6,700 square feet addition to the Library, utility upgrades, and installation of a generator to meet the community’s public safety emergency response plan. The facility will serve as an emergency shelter in times of disaster, providing fully accessible ADA space, meeting rooms, kitchen, and bathrooms.
• $475,000 loan to the Penquis Community Action Program, Inc. for the development of a sub-division in Searsport for low- and moderate-income applicants. The funding will provide 11 lots for construction of new Single Family Homes.
• $1,180,000 loan to Brixham Montessori Friends School in York to purchase and renovate a commercial building, which will replace the school’s current small rented space and allow for additional classrooms, programs, and administrative space.
The USDA Rural Development program provides financial loans and grants to help improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The funds are used for community programs, which seek to construct or improve community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services.