$11.2M grant to pay for flood reduction In Princeville area

Plans to make Princeville a more resilient town, especially from flooding, got an influx of money recently, with an $11.2 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build infrastructure on a 53-acre green field located south of town.

Located at the intersection of Shiloh Farm Road and U.S. 64 East, the area will become the home of both the town’s public works and fire departments as well as Pioneer Court, a public housing project.

In a press release last month, the FEMA press office said the grant would fund the build-out of infrastructure outside of the Tar River floodplain on higher ground.

“The infrastructure includes stormwater management, wastewater collection, water distribution and electric power systems to support new housing and civic services for Princeville residents,” FEMA officials said in prepared remarks as part of the press release.

Princeville Mayor Bobbie Jones said the project will include some “market-rate” housing, a grocery store and a fuel service station, and the town’s board is engaged in talks with several developers.

“The residents of Princeville shouldn’t have to go out of town for what they need,” said Jones, explaining the need for commercial development in the project area.

With the funding in place, Jones said a groundbreaking ceremony for the project should be held before the end of the year.

Jones said the town board passed a resolution at Monday night’s meeting that transfers $2 million to the 53-acre project. The money was needed to fund additional site work on the project, Jones said, adding that some of the land required additional elevation.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell noted that the grant money came from the first funding cycle of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in 2020. The program pays for projects that protect people and infrastructure in communities like Princeville from natural hazards and the effects of climate change.

“Many economically disadvantaged communities like Princeville were built in places more vulnerable to flooding, and critical resilience actions are needed to increase residents’ protection,” Criswell said. “This is why funding is so important to make the town withstand the nation’s costliest natural hazard — flooding — that is only becoming more devastating due to climate change.”

Criswell said FEMA is working to make sure flood-prone communities like Princeville have more access to the necessary resources to become more resilient with more flood-resistant infrastructure.

FEMA’s press office noted that disadvantaged communities like Princeville have been marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. Increased funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping FEMA direct money toward more communities like Princeville so they can develop projects to better withstand the growing climate threat.

According to FEMA officials, the project qualifies for a Biden administration initiative that aims to provide 40 percent of federal climate grants to disadvantaged communities through various FEMA programs.