Maine town seeks $200,000 grant for asbestos and mold removal at old church
The town of South Berwick is hoping to receive a $200,000 grant from the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC) in order to remove asbestos and mold from the former St. Michael’s Church. The executive director of the SMRPC said that his staff will speak favorably about the grant application; in fact, the commission has worked with the town to develop the application. The SMRPC was given $1.6 million through the Department of Environmental Protection’s Brownfields Cleanup Subgrant Program, but only $360,000 of it is available for outright grants. The rest is to be used for low-interest loans.
If approved, the grant will mandate a 20% match to be funded through in-kind service—i.e., town labor. The funding will remove asbestos and other hazardous materials from the old church. After the building is cleaned up and private fundraising is completed, the church is going to be converted for use as a new town library.
For the full story, go to Sea Coast Online.
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