ARC Awards The Industrial Commons a $10 Million ARISE Grant for Its Innovation Campus

The Industrial Commons just received the largest non-highway construction grant ever awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The Industrial Commons has set an ambitious fundraising goal of $45.6M for Phase 1 of its Innovation Campus, which is centered on the development of 10 acres and the first structure, its Accelerator Building.

MORGANTON, North Carolina—Enthusiasm and funding continue to gravitate toward a future industrial campus in east Morganton.

Thanks to a $10 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced on October 11th, The Industrial Commons moves much closer to realizing its fundraising goals for its Innovation Campus, a 27-acre development that will showcase the innovation of western North Carolina’s manufacturing sector.

Made possible through the ARISE program, this grant will support the construction of a 40,000 sq. ft. Accelerator facility at the Campus.

Development of the Innovation Campus will further boost equitable economic activities, cultural events, and social initiatives championed by TIC in the Foothills region.

An Economic Engine in the Foothills

“My sincerest congratulations to new ARISE grantee The Industrial Commons as they lead the charge for job training and new textile manufacturing practices that will not only encourage economic development and collaboration in North Carolina, but across the entire Appalachian region,” says ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “Having seen their work first-hand, I find their efforts both ambitious and inspiring, and am proud to have them as a driving force behind the next era of our region’s success.”

This project will enable the communitarian-minded TIC, which is becoming a manufacturing hub in western North Carolina, to expand its reach, supporting local entrepreneurs and established companies throughout NC, eastern Tennessee, and upstate South Carolina.

The Accelerator Building will serve as a polestar for the nascent textile circular economy powered by TIC and their enterprise Material Return. It will house skilled training facilities and incubator space for start-ups and scaling brands working in the circular economy.

(And just imagine how much this development will speed up once passenger rail returns to western North Carolina.)

Renderings of the Innovation Campus in Morganton developed by Mithun, in partnership with Nelson, Byrd, Woltz, Landscape Architects, and Baumgartner Urban Systems Strategy.

TIC’s Innovation Campus Hopes to Become a Beacon of ‘Resilient Economic Solutions’

By all estimations, this is a monumental moment for an economically distressed region.

The federal grant was matched by financial backing from The Kendeda Fund and is the largest non-highway construction grant ever awarded by ARC, according to TIC’s press release. The manufacturing hub has completed the schematic design process for Phase 1A of the campus, which encompasses approximately 3.5 acres of the 27-acre site.

With funding from the NC General Assembly, TIC will complete the design process over the course of 2024 and plans to break ground on the building at the end of next year.

“We are honored by this investment from ARC,” says TIC Co-Executive Director Sara Chester. “We have worked closely with ARC since our formation and owe them a tremendous amount of gratitude for supporting our work in Appalachia over the years. We hope the Campus can become a showcase for young people in our region to show them what’s possible, and also serve as a beacon nationwide for community leaders who are seeking more sustainable and resilient economic solutions for their own communities.”

Additional support for the project has come from the Environmental Protection Agency, The Cannon Foundation, the J.M. Kaplan Fund, and an anonymous donor from the region who provided funding for TIC to purchase the land in 2021.

TIC has set an ambitious fundraising goal of $45.6M for Phase 1 of the campus, centered on the development of 10 acres and the first structure, its Accelerator Building. Over the next 5 to 10 years TIC anticipates developing the remaining 18 acres and adding 3 to 4 additional buildings to support the growing circular economy manufacturing in Southern Appalachia.

With ARC’s investment, TIC has expended $2.75 million, raised a total of $23.29 million, and has approximately $22 million left to raise. “This project speaks to true community collaboration,” said TIC Co-Executive Director Molly Hemstreet.

“The City of Morganton, Burke County, Burke Development, Inc. the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, and many others have been extremely supportive throughout the design and planning process,” she continues. “We have an excellent design team and architecture firm in Mithun, which has encouraged us to pursue our ambitious environmental goals for the Campus. We look forward to it being a transformational space for the Appalachian region and the innovative work we do in the textile and furniture sectors.”

Will Bring Benefits of the Clean Energy Economy to Southern Appalachia

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out, bringing good-paying jobs to communities that have too long been overlooked,” asserts Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator. “These new ARISE awards will expand opportunity, boost domestic manufacturing, and bring the benefits of a clean energy economy to communities in Southern Appalachia.”

ARISE (Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies) is ARC’s initiative to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia.

Using funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, ARC launched ARISE in August of 2022 to strengthen Appalachian business and industry and to grow and support the development of new economic opportunities across multiple states.

A total of $227 million has been made available through ARISE to date.

“This $10 million ARC ARISE grant is a game-changer for western North Carolina to showcase and advance their manufacturing industry,” says Senator Tillis. “I look forward to seeing the success of the Innovation Campus by The Industrial Commons, and I will continue to support efforts to bring economic development to the western part of the state.”

“We are thrilled that The Industrial Commons has been awarded this $10 million competitive grant. I was happy to work with Senator Tillis to support this project,” says Senator Ted Budd. “These dollars will not only boost our state’s economic competitiveness, but it will lift up an entire region by constructing a workforce training center that will cultivate the talent pool across multiple states. I have no doubt that North Carolina’s heritage of textile manufacturing will continue to grow and thrive with help from this award.”