University of the Cumberlands $7.5M NMTC investment in this $12.4M project that created 7 new jobs.
The University of the Cumberlands (UC), with 4,300 students (1,864 undergraduates and 2,434 graduates), has historically served students primarily, but not exclusively, from the beautiful Appalachian Mountain regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Alabama. UC’s impact can be seen in the achievements of its graduates who have assumed roles of leadership in this region and throughout the nation.
It estimates that 65 percent of its students remain in the Appalachia area after graduation to provide needed services to the residents of the Appalachia area. The project resides in a Severely Distressed Census Tract with a poverty rate of 31.3 percent and an unemployment rate of 11.9 percent. The project involves two phases, the first, the redevelopment of the entry way into the City of Williamsburg and the second, the relocation and redevelopment of UC’s sport facilities.
With respect to the entry way, a new entrance to the City of Williamsburg, off Exit 11 from Interstate 75, will be constructed for the sole purpose of diverting traffic on 10th street to (i) the Williamsburg City School, (ii) downtown Williamsburg business district which services many restaurants, hotels and downtown businesses, and (iii) the UC’s main campus. The road will be straightened, widened, and elevated above the flood plain by the Kentucky Department of Transportation. Modern efficient lighting will be installed for safety and all utilities are being buried providing more reliable and efficient service.
By providing direct and secure access to the University’s main campus from Interstate 75, the UC campus will be visible from Interstate 75, which is expected to attract new interest in the University. As for the redevelopment of UC’s athletic facilities, it will increase opportunities to shape the talents and capabilities for its students, athletically, by adding men’s and women’s lacrosse fields; a softball field with dugouts; tennis courts; public walking track; a field house with locker rooms, concessions, public restrooms, and a press box.
With these new facilities, the University can host both collegiate and community events and allow access to its walking track to the general public. With the aid of the project, the University will encourage area high school students to pursue higher education and enhance community involvement on the campus. In addition to the many jobs created during the construction, UC expects the project to create several full-time jobs. The Kentucky State Department of Transportation, City of Williamsburg, Kentucky Utilities, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, and University of the Cumberland have each contributed to this community economic development.
