New Hill receives over $900,000 grant for construction

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) — New Hill Development Corporation has received a grant of more than $900,000 from Gov. Abigail Spanberger to support its ongoing work in culinary entrepreneurship.

The funding comes less than a year after the organization’s most recent project opened. Leaders say the money will help them continue their mission of providing access and resources for aspiring food entrepreneurs.

“This is going to allow us to be able to do that debt-free,” said Yolunda Harrell, the organization’s CEO and co-founder.

Harrell said that while BEACON Kitchen is already operating, additional work remains.

“To be able to have access to this level of funding, what that means is we get to finish this project,” she said.

The grant will also allow New Hill to expand its operations, including developing retail and production space.

“How we plan to utilize the grant is to be able to build out our retail storefront space and to be able to stand up our value-added product production,” Harrell said.

Harrell said the funding is provided in partnership with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“It is a reimbursable grant. So it’s not that we get cash up-front,” Harrell said. “What we actually will receive is the opportunity to be able to build, and we can spend up to that amount.”

She added that New Hill is also working with both agencies to explore additional uses for the funding beyond construction.

“Things like having a refrigerated vehicle so that we can go out to small farmers and be able to pick up produce and bring that back,” Harrell said.

Harrell said the grant will benefit both the organization and the entrepreneurs who use its facilities.

“The entrepreneurs that are in the kitchen, the ones that are seeking to get into the kitchen to get their dreams started, they know that there’s going to be a complete pathway,” she said.

She added that New Hill hopes the expansion will allow operators to sell their products on site, rather than relying on outside locations.