The Arc and Carroll partner on grant for renovation help

May 29--The Arc of Carroll County is working with the county government to secure additional grant money to pay for a portion of its $3.8 million headquarters renovation.

The nonprofit, which works with people with developmental disabilities to prepare them for independent lives, has asked the county to submit a grant request on its behalf to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development seeking more than $500,000.

The Arc couldn't apply for the grant itself because local governments are the only eligible recipients of Community Development Block Grants.

During a meeting Thursday, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to allow the Department of Citizen Services to submit the application.

"This is an extraordinarily worthwhile project," said Commissioner Doug Howard, R-District 5. "I know you're getting a phenomenal response already, so that's very encouraging."

The renovation, which is expected to begin sometime in December, will revamp many sections of The Arc's 36,000-square-foot facility. The improvements include making the facility's kitchen handicapped-accessible, the addition of a fitness center to accommodate those who are aging or handicapped, a larger cafeteria and break room, an autism research center, a conference area, and several additional rooms to be used for educating clients. The entrance to the building will also be reconfigured and the improvements will enhance the facility's energy efficiency.

The application will request $532,000 and will be competing with other jurisdictions in the state for an estimated $5 million in annual funding. The county must submit the application by June 5. Donald Rowe, executive director of The Arc, said they will most likely have some indication of the success of the grant by July but doesn't expect to secure the funding -- if it is awarded to the county -- until October.

Though the facility, originally constructed in 1986, was appropriate for the services provided at the time, the changes undergone by The Arc since then make the current facility unsuitable for the nonprofit's mission, Rowe said Thursday.

When first constructed, the majority of the nonprofit's clients worked on-site in a warehouse environment, Rowe wrote in a brief to the commissioners. The number and quality of programs established by The Arc has grown since then, meaning renovations are required to accommodate these changes, he wrote.

The Arc has accumulated various funding sources to pay for the cost of the renovations, including past grants, loans, its own existing funds and state bonds. The grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would be the final piece of the necessary funding.

Without this funding, The Arc would be forced to either take out another loan or hold off on construction, Rowe wrote in an email.

"Our options at that point are to increase our borrowing and/or delay the project to allow more time for fundraising," Rowe wrote.

If the county is awarded the grant, Carroll will enter into what is known as a sub-recipient agreement with The Arc, Morey said.

"As The Arc incurs expenses, the nonprofit will submit invoices to the county, who will then seek reimbursement from the agency supplying the grant funding," she said.

If the grant is awarded, The Arc will be responsible for writing a request for proposal to solicit private companies to undertake the project. When this is completed, the construction will begin, Rowe said. He said he expects the renovations to take about 11 months to complete.

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