Opportunity Appalachia announced selection of 29 projects seeking over $275 MM in investment to receive Pre-Development Technical Assistance. Throughout June and July, ACC will issue requests for proposals on this page for the selected projects. If you and your organization would like to be added to our list of qualified technical assistance providers, please complete the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) linked in the section below.

Proposals should include all requested services, which may mean that multiple entities are providing services, with one identified lead contractor.

The projects with open RFPs are listed below with links to the PDF:

Kentucky

• Gateway Regional Arts Center, Mt. Sterling, KY – Expansion and upgrade of the current performing arts center in a historic 1883 former United Methodist Church to meet the booming demand for event capacity, gallery space, and community engagement. Estimated costs total $12 MM with creation of 25 permanent positions.

North Carolina

• Innovation Campus, The Industrial Commons, Morganton, NC – Creation of a business accelerator and workforce training center with specialized manufacturing courses to support a hub for innovation in the textile economy. Estimated costs total $40 MM with creation of 60 high-quality permanent positions.
• Oak Hill Commons, Pathways & Procurement, Asheville, NC – Construction of 28 new townhome units to serve as affordable housing for the Asheville Community. The minority-owned project sponsor estimates costs to total $7.8 M and creation of 100 construction jobs.
• The Balsam Mountain Inn, Balsam, NC – Restoration to feature 48 guest rooms, fine and casual full-service dining options, full bar, coffee shop, brewery, spa, and gift shop along with hiking trails across the property’s 21 acres. Total costs estimated at $16 MM with creation of 100 permanent jobs.
• West Marion Inc & Alphonso Hardy Technology Collaborative, West Marion Community Forum, Marion, NC – Former pre-integration school for the Black community to transform into an inclusive multi-racial community center housing local nonprofits and businesses, a community kitchen, health clinic, and technology center, supporting Marion’s BIPOC community. The minority-led project sponsor estimates costs to total $10 M with creation of 48 jobs.

Ohio

• Glass Press Buildings I & II, Ataraxia Properties, Inc., Marietta, OH – Development of commercial retail and small events venue on the ground level with office space and market-rate housing on the floors above. Total costs estimated at $8 MM with creation of 60 permanent jobs.

Tennessee

• Patton Hotel, SPARQ, South Pittsburg, TN – Redevelopment of the Patton Hotel as a catalytic downtown anchor property and boutique hotel enterprise to include dining offering. Total costs estimated at $3.7 MM with creation of 25 jobs.
• The Grove at Poplardale, Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Kingsport, TN – Construction of 130 new affordable apartments and 25 single family homes; 60 of the apartments are intended to house seniors. Total costs estimated at $52 MM with creation of 6 permanent jobs.
• Affordable Duplex Housing Development, A Step Towards Home, Mascot, TN – Construction of eight duplexes to serve as 16 affordable housing units targeting graduates from addiction recovery programs. Total costs estimated at $2.6 MM with creation of approximately 14 construction jobs.

Virginia

• 608 Main Street, Town of Clifton Forge, Clifton Forge, VA – Rehabilitation of the former furniture company building to serve as the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society’s museum space on the ground floor and apartments above. Total costs estimated at $2 MM with creation of 2 jobs.

West Virginia

• RenewAll Cultural Wealth Hub, RenewAll, Huntington, WV – Creation of a social and entrepreneurial space representing the industrial history of the Central City with a museum, vendor space, and cultural events venue. Total costs estimated at $1.5 MM with creation of 44 permanent positions.
• Logan Medical Education Housing Complex, City of Logan, Logan, WV – Renovation of the complex into 11 housing units for participants in the only Rural General Surgery Residency Program in the nation at the nearby Logan Regional Medical Center. Total costs estimated at $6 MM with creation of 34 construction jobs.
• Downtown Charleston, Gresham Development, LLC, Charleston, WV – Redevelopment of the four-story building to contain a restaurant on the first floor and 9 apartments on the floors above. Total costs estimated at $ 3.5 MM with creation of 50 permanent jobs.
• Black Diamond Sustainable Development Logistics Hub, Coalfield Development Corporation, Huntington, WV – Second phase build out to create state-of-the-art space for tenants in the climate resilience and climate technology industries. Total costs estimated at $6 MM with creation of 100 permanent jobs.

If you and your organization would like to be added to our list of qualified technical assistance providers, please complete the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) linked below. We accept RFQs at any time and require a completed RFQ prior to contracting. If approved of your qualifications, you will be notified when Opportunity Appalachia has projects with open Requests for Proposals (RFP).

Proposals should include all requested services, which may mean that multiple entities are providing services, with one identified lead contractor.

The Technical Assistance contractor will report to the Program Manager of Opportunity Appalachia and work directly with the Project Sponsor. The requested Scope of Services may involve:

• development of investment prospectus, preparation of pro forma financial projections, structuring of project financing,
• market research, demand assessment
• architectural and engineering
• business plan preparation, operations planning
• identification of project developers
• investor outreach

This support will be provided on contract by experienced business and development partners. It is anticipated that support of $40,000 – $75,000 will be provided for each project, averaging $50,000 per applicant.

Request for Qualifications RFQ (PDF)

• View a list of already-approved TA providers as of June 2024 – CLICK HERE