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An industrial park planned for Aurora is getting a financial boost from the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority. 

A $500,000 grant will go towards the completion of a 32-acre industrial park. This is in addition to a $750,000 grant the town received from the authority in April of 2019. The money is coming from the Industrial Development Fund. 

“Once the water, sewer, and industrial road access is complete, the Town expects a private investment of $11,000,000 at the park,” according to the Rural Infrastructure Authority. 

Aurora is not the only rural town in North Carolina receiving a grant. The authority is giving 13 other grants to local governments in an effort to create 324 jobs and attract a possible $31.5 million in private investment. The total amount of grant money being distributed is $6,644,500. 

The funding comes from specialized grant and loan programs offered and managed by N.C. Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, led by Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Kenny Flowers. Grants can support a variety of activities, including infrastructure development, building renovation, expansion and demolition, and site improvements, according to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s office. 

“Following another record year for economic development, increasing economic opportunities for North Carolina’s rural communities with improvements to building and utility infrastructure remains a top priority of mine,” N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said. “Our partnerships with local governments will enhance rural North Carolina’s competitive edge and increase our economy statewide.”