RALEIGH — Laurinburg is one of 53 North Carolina cities set to split around $5 million in grants for downtown revitalization as part of the House-approved state budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Laurinburg along with each of the other cities is set to receive $94,340 in grant funding for downtown revitalization projects. The money comes from the Rural and Economic Division of the state Commerce Department.

Lumberton, Raeford and Rockingham were among the municipalities in the area that were awarded the grant.

Laurinburg Community Development Director Michael Mandeville said he was pleased to hear about the funding that was approved last month.

“It is always good to be able to gain a grant,” Mandeville said. “It is something we can use as a positive for downtown and help us move forward in our goal of making Main Street a central part of Laurinburg.”

According to Mandeville, the city has not yet determined how the grant money will be spent.

“We have a list of needs, but we will have to sit down and decide how to best spent that grant,” he said.

Other cities listed for grants are: Albemarle, Angier, Asheboro, Beulaville, Boone, Burgaw, Cherryville, Clemmons, Clinton, Clyde, Cornelius, Eden, Edenton, Elizabethtown, Fayetteville, Forest City, Gastonia, Greenville, Hickory, Hillsborough, Huntersville, Jacksonville, Jefferson, Kannapolis, Kernersville, King, Kinston, Lumberton, Marion, Matthews, Mint Hill, Mocksville, Mooresville, Morehead City, Mt. Airy, Pleasant Garden, Raeford, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Rockingham, Roxboro, Salisbury, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, Thomasville, Valdese, Wadesboro, Wake Forest, Washington, Wilkesboro, and Wilson.

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By Scott Witten

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