Improvements to the historic Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine and Museum located in Pocahontas, Virginia began on July 3. Renovations inside the museum include windows and doors, new ACA complaint bathroom facilities and a commercial kitchen for a restaurant with a seating area that could accommodate 92 people. Other than roof bolts in the mine itself, it will also be rewired to bring it up to compliance with code, and the walkway in the mine will be paved.

SUPPORTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH FUNDING EXPERTISE

Is a lack of funding stalling your project?

Identifying opportunities to fund infrastructure and other needs can make or break a project. With so many forms, fine print, and rules and regulations, local governments can get bogged down in a web of time-consuming paperwork—and that’s just to be considered for funding.

Thompson & Litton can help you understand the funding process

Our team of dedicated consultants can assist organizations in navigating the often intricate details involved in applying for and securing grants and other types of funding for essential infrastructure projects. We have the ability to identify funding sources and determine the sources that are most appropriate for each project and assist in preparing the funding application.

We have a record of success

Our team has secured millions in funding for clients across our region. Our areas of specialization include the following:

• Source Identification
• Grant Loan Application Writing
• Community Engagement Public Outreach
• Local Government Applications
• Conventional Financing Solicitations

Our work supports economic development initiatives

Some of our funding successes in the economic development arena include working with the following agencies:

• SWVA W/WW
• Tobacco Commission
• USDA-RD
• VBRSP
• VCEDA
• VDH
• VDOT
• VTC
• USDA – Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
• West Virginia Development Office
• WVDEP – Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

Case Study #1: The Inn at Wise

T&L was retained by the Wise County Industrial Development Authority (WCIDA) to provide architectural & engineering design and construction contract administration services for the renovation, restoration, and expansion of the Historic Inn located on Main Street in Wise, Virginia. The Inn at Wise, originally constructed in 1910, as the Colonial Inn, had operated and successfully served the community up until the last 20 years when it fell into disrepair.

Project Highlights:

A gorgeous lobby area, with the original staircase, reservation desk, and wood floors, which have all been restored;

The newly expanded and renovated facility, which encompasses the entire block, can now boast having 49 guest rooms;

Unique character and charm of the attic story rooms in the original structure, historically accurate lighting fixtures and wallpaper throughout the Inn, a wealth of artwork lining the walls, and all of the finishing touches

A new and vital feature of the expanded facility is its conference center with a capacity of 200+ occupants.

Square Footage: 45,165 SF

Construction Cost: $9.050 Million ($167,000 in construction savings);

Funding Agencies:

Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA)

Virginia Tobacco Commission

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (VHCD).

Case Study #2: Tazewell County PSA Claypool Hill WWTP

The Tazewell County PSA engaged T&L in March 2012 to update the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) to address a stringent VPDES limit for ammonia which was imposed on the TCPSA by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The PER recommended an upgrade and expansion of the existing WWTP from 0.35 MGD to 0.75 MGD capacity address the stringent ammonia discharge limit and meet the future needs of the Claypool Hill and Wardell service areas.

Project Funding: T&L provided assistance to the TCPSA in securing the project funding with included multiple funding agencies, each with differing requirements.

In July 2012, T&L began final design phase services for the upgrade and expansion of the WWTP. Construction was completed in October 2015 at a cost of $5.7 million, which was approximately $1.0 Million under T&L’s engineering estimate of $6.7 Million and 1.6% above the award amount. One important step taken by T&L, which was a big factor in the success of the project, was the use of a pre-qualification process prior to the formal bidding process. This provided the TCPSA with reasonable assurance of a pool of bidders with the experience and capacity to undertake a specialized wastewater treatment plant.

Funding Agencies:

DEQ/RLF (GRANT) $1,000,000

SWVA W/WW $400,000

LOCAL $252,520

TOTAL $9,908,070

The entire project was completed $1,535,019.21 under the TCPSA’s budget

Are you ready to find funding for your next big project?

We can help! You can contact us at www.T-L.com to talk to us about how to get started on the path toward bringing your project to life and making it a success.