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Town of Wilkesboro seeks county Letter of Support for $15M resiliency grant to upfit Blue Ridge Outpost
Summary
Town manager Ken Noland asked Wilkes County to provide a Letter of Support for a CDBG-DR resiliency grant application to upfit the old Lowe’s (Blue Ridge Outpost) as a dual-use emergency shelter and event center; no local match is requested at this stage and the application is expected in April.
Ken Noland, manager for the Town of Wilkesboro, presented a resiliency grant concept on March 5 seeking Wilkes County’s support. The proposed application would use Hurricane Helene disaster-recovery funds (CDBG-DR) for up to $15 million to convert the Blue Ridge Outpost (the former Lowe’s site) into a dual-purpose facility: a ‘dark-sky’ emergency shelter that could be stood up in disasters and a ‘blue-sky’ event center used in normal conditions. Noland said no county match is required for the grant application, though future operational arrangements and leases with property owners are under discussion.
Noland described a roughly 5,000 sq. ft. shelter footprint, accessory infrastructure to support emergency medical and shelter operations, and a “blue-sky” plan to host events and community training. He said partners include High Country Community Health and Finley Properties, and noted the project could include clinical space and workforce-training uses. The Town anticipates submitting a pre-application and expects to ask the Board for a formal Letter of Support at the April 7 meeting; Noland requested county staff and the county attorney review any letter language to avoid obligating the county financially.
Commissioners asked about tenant and lease terms; Noland said the application will note current and prospective uses and that he expects to return in April with a more formal request and documentation for a vote.
