Town of Black Mountain awarded state funding for infrastructure projects
Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program to allocate approximately $2.4 million
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 17, 2025
The Town of Black Mountain, through the Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program, announced, Dec. 15, funding awarded to support four local projects, including a new concession stand at Veterans Park. Photo by Fred McCormick
The maximum amount available through the Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program, enacted last June and amended last October, has been awarded to the Town of Black Mountain, supporting its ongoing recovery and resiliency efforts in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
Approximately $2.4 million will help advance four projects that address storm-related damage, but are ineligible for funding through the FEMA Public Assistance Program, in which the town is currently seeking additional funds for a wide range of damages to more than 30 facilities.
In a, Dec. 16, press release, the Town announced the state assistance would allocate $1,072,000 for structural repairs to the public safety building, $1,000,000 for the construction of a new golf course maintenance facility, $350,000 for a concession stand at Veterans Park and $50,000 for repairs on Cragmont Road.
Assistant Town Manager and Recovery and Resiliency Officer Jessica Trotman called the investments an important step in the town’s long-term recovery.
“The projects supported through this award address storm-related damage while also strengthening public facilities that are essential to safety, recreation and municipal operations,” she said in the statement. “This funding provides the flexibility needed to advance projects responsibly and position them for additional funding where appropriate.”
The Town of Black Mountain will receive $1 million for a new golf course maintenance building, following the, Dec. 15, announcement of funding awarded through the state. Photo by Fred McCormick
Funds granted through the program can be used as a required local match to leverage additional federal or state funds, according to the Town’s release. The money will fund the four projects, in total or in part, as determined by final engineering plans, design and cost estimates.
The projects align with a broader recovery and hazard mitigation strategy, the Town added, focusing on the restoration of damaged infrastructure, reduction of future risk and ensuring that public facilities continue to serve residents reliably during both normal conditions and in emergency situations.
Eighty grants totaling nearly $50 million were awarded to municipalities in Western N.C., Governor Josh Stein announced, Dec. 15, prioritizing communities with populations under 300,000.
“We received applications for more than twice the amount of available funding, indicating there continues to be great need in Western N.C.,” State Budget Director Kristin Walker said, in a press release from the governor’s office. “We are pleased to be part of the state’s effort to lift up these hard-hit communities.”