RUMFORD – Selectmen Thursday announced that a $1.5 million grant will enable construction of a major portion of the town’s new business park.
The funds will come from a federal transportation bill, Town Manager Steve Eldridge said earlier in the day.
“This is a real plus for us and a long time in coming,” said board Chairman Jim Thibodeau. “Steve has done a lot of work for us.”
The search for grant money began more than two years ago when the town spent $100,000 to hire the Washington lobbying firm of Cassidy Associates to work on behalf of the town, Eldridge said Thursday afternoon.
The funds were taken from the town’s administrative capital reserve account about two years ago, he said.
The town’s contract with the firm expired in December of last year. But before that happened, Eldridge said the lobbyists had framed a proposal. It was their expertise with bill writing and legislative procedures that helped the town get the money, he said Thursday afternoon.
Eldridge flew to Washington for two days in April to testify on the bill and to lobby for support, he said Thursday. The bill has since passed both houses of Congress and now awaits the signature of President Bush, which is expected within the next couple of weeks. Eldridge said Rumford’s portion is part of a $286 billion nationwide federal transportation bill.
He said Thursday night that construction on an interior road, sewer and water lines and widening of a portion of Route 108, will start at the business park by the end of August.
Some clearing of the heavily forested parcel began last year. More will need to be done, he said.
The planned business park consists of about 200 acres. Eighteen lots, averaging three or four acres each, will be created for development. Several parts of the total parcel consist of wetlands and cannot be used. The new business park abuts the town’s industrial park located along Route 108.
Eldridge said companies have already shown interest in four of the lots, including two lots eyed by Worldwide Language Resources, a language translation company currently located in downtown Rumford. The company has dramatically increased its number of employees during the past couple of years.
Another local company, not identified, has also shown interest, said Eldridge.
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