SWANNANOA, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County has been awarded $979,000 from the N.C. Department of Commerce to repair and expand sidewalks in Swannanoa.

The funding, provided through the Small Business Infrastructure Grant (SmBIZ) program, will be used to fix damaged sidewalks along Whitson Avenue and extend sidewalks through the commercial area of Beacon Village.

Administered by the Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, the SmBIZ program is part of a $55 million initiative launched by Gov. Josh Stein and the North Carolina General Assembly to support small business recovery in Western North Carolina. Grants of up to $1 million per project help local governments rebuild public infrastructure critical to small business operations, including water, sewer, gas, telecommunications, sidewalks, and stormwater systems.

“This is a big deal for our families, visitors and small businesses,” said Daniel Lancaster, owner of Short Sleeves Coffee and Swannanoa resident. “Beacon Village is Swannanoa’s downtown, and as we rebuild, we’re seeing more and more folks coming to take advantage of what makes our part of the valley so special. We need more sidewalks in Swannanoa to keep people safe, and this project moves us in the right direction.”

E.B. Odderstol, Buncombe County intergovernmental affairs economic development analyst, said the county plans to work with the N.C. Department of Transportation on construction and management of the project. “Improving Swannanoa’s sidewalk infrastructure will substantially contribute to the area’s recovery, revitalizing the economy and investing in the community’s future,” Odderstol said.

The grant will be formally accepted at a future public meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

Other area SmBIZ awards include:

• $871,649 to restore approximately 3,000 square yards of historic brick sidewalks in Biltmore Village (City of Asheville)
• $968,622 for reconstruction of 36 ADA-accessible ramps in Biltmore Village (City of Asheville)
• $652,530 to replace about 2,231 linear feet of historic curbing in Biltmore Village (City of Asheville)
• $1 million to replace 710 linear feet of stormwater pipe along Sutton Avenue (Town of Black Mountain)