On January 6, the town of Elkin was notified of a $200,000 grant that was awarded as part of an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to be used towards energy efficient upgrades for the Elkin Workforce Development Center.
The Workforce Development Center is a collaboration between the town of Elkin and Surry Community College that will provide a job training center, classrooms, meeting rooms, an economic development information desk, and GED classes to the residents of Elkin and the surrounding area. 
A nursing program is also part of projected plans for the center, according to SCC.
The plans  for the center call for around 22,000 to 23,000 square feet of usable space. The grant was awarded to help retrofit the building using energy saving heating and air conditioning equipment, energy management systems, and upgrades to the roof and insulation. The total projected cost of this portion of the project is $327,295.
"Mayor Lestine Hutchens,  Economic Development Director for Elkin, Leslie Schlender and local architect Joe Seipel-Parks worked diligently on the application for this grant," John Holcomb, interim town manager said. "With this award, we have now received $832,000 in grant funding from eight granting agencies to be used towards the renovation cost of the future Workforce Center."
Estimated cost for the completion of the center is around $1 million.
Under an agreement reached with the Surry County Board of Commissioners and the town of Elkin, the town would be responsible for the upkeep of the outside of the facility and renting out the additional space. SCC would be responsible for maintaining the inside of the facility. The county would own the property.
"We still have some additional grant requests outstanding and are hopeful that we will be successful with some of those as well," he said. "With this award, the contribution necessary from the Town of Elkin towards the cost of this project has been substantially reduced."
“We hope to start work in January, and we think it is a four-month project,”  said Hutchens. “We hope to be in it by May...”
The grant is part of $860,700 in federal Recovery Act funding in energy efficiency block grants that was awarded on Jan. 6 to six local counties and towns across North Carolina. Additional grants are expected to be awarded across the state as part of of the program.
Published 1/15/10.