Rocky Mount approves $500,000 downtown incentive for former Memorial Hospital and authorizes $375,000 state grant application

The Rocky Mount City Council on Monday adopted a budget-ordinance amendment to award a $500,000 downtown major investment incentive grant for 224 Rose Street, the former Memorial Hospital, and approved a resolution authorizing submission of an application for $375,000 from the North Carolina Department of Commerce Building Reuse Program to support renovation of the same facility.

City staff said the state funding agreement would be based on the creation of 30 new healthcare jobs. Both agenda items included recorded recusals from Councilman Blackwell and Councilman Knight, and each item was approved by voice vote at the meeting.

The motion to adopt the $500,000 budget-ordinance amendment was made by Councilman Joiner and seconded by Councilman Walker; the council approved the matter by voice vote. The motion to authorize submission of the Department of Commerce application was moved by Councilman Joiner and seconded by Councilman Daughtridge; that resolution also passed by voice vote. Meeting minutes record that Blackwell and Knight were recused on both items and that the council voted "aye" to approve each measure.

Council members did not record roll-call vote tallies in the transcript; the approvals were announced after the council's voice votes. The city clerk indicated recusals were on file for Blackwell and Knight for the Memorial Hospital matters.

The two funding steps are part of the city's ongoing downtown investment work and will move forward with administrative steps required by the grant and budget processes, including any state-required job-creation verification for the Building Reuse award.