Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently awarded the Town of Kenbridge $52,000 throught the Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) to help revitalize an industrial building in town.

According to Deputy Director Todd Fortune with the Commonwealth Regional Council, the funds will pay for engineering and planning activities for an industrial building that the town has slated for reuse.

Town Manager Tony Matthews said there was “not much information to give about this one” at the moment.

Matthews did not say where the building was located.

The IRF works to redevelop vacant and deteriorated industrial and commercial properties.

The program is targeted toward vacant non-residential structures whose poor condition creates physical and economic blight to the surrounding area in which the structure is located.

Eligible properties include those formerly used for manufacturing, warehousing, mining, transportation and power production, as well as department stores, theaters, hotels and shopping centers.

Structures whose proposed end-use will be solely residential are not eligible.

“Through leveraging the Industrial Revitalization Fund, localities across the commonwealth have been able to foster community and economic transformation,” said Deputy Director of Community Development Jay Grant. “Mid-sized to larger under or unutilized facilities that are “brought back to life” through these efforts offer revived economic opportunities.”