KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Three local projects have been selected to receive federal funding.

New Hampshire’s federal delegation announced that $4.1 million dollars from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is heading to New Hampshire for seven New Hampshire Catalyst program projects across the state that support economic, educational, and community development projects in rural areas.

Antioch University is working to relocate to the Keene State College campus. The university was awarded $1 million to put towards the construction of a new, 34,000 square foot educational building, and for the rehabilitation of the historic Blake House on the Keene State Campus. The NBRC said the new facilities will provide clinical mental health spaces as well as family and group counseling spaces. The total cost of that project is $36.5 million.

The Walpole Foundation was selected to receive a $1 million award as well. That money will go towards the roughly $4.6 million project to construct a 6,510 square foot facility to serve as the new home of the Walpole Village School, a private nonprofit that offers early preschool and preschool education for children ages two to five years.

$500,000 has been awarded to the Monadnock Conservancy to support staff expansion. The new positions are meant to help the conservancy continue to increase the pace of land protection, ensure adequate oversight and management of protected land, maintain and build trails and other public access infrastructure, and expand community programs and partnerships, according to the NBRC. The total cost for that initiative is just over $950,000.

Other awards in New Hampshire included $105,067 to Medallion Opera House Inc. in Gorham for upgrades to its sound and lighting infrastructure and other updates, $250,000 to the Town of Waterville Valley to select an engineering firm to prepare the town to develop a budget and seek financial resources for improvements to its wastewater system, $750,000 to Affordable Housing, Education, and Development (AHEAD) Inc. to rehabilitate a building in Whitefield to create four residential units and one commercial unit, and $496,709 to the Berlin and Coos County Historical Society to support technological and archival upgrades and to address the restoration of two buildings that house the majority of its collections.

“Today’s funding announcement demonstrates our steadfast commitment to investing in our rural New Hampshire communities,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen said in a news release. “The projects supported by these federal dollars will deliver tangible improvements and services for local residents and surrounding areas – creating good jobs and helping fuel our state’s economy.”

A total of 15 projects in New Hampshire applied for the funding, totaling more than $7 million. All of the seven projects chosen are within Congressional District two, represented by Congresswoman Annie Kuster.

“From expanding access to affordable childcare services and housing in rural communities to conserving our state’s pristine environment, these investments demonstrate the positive impact the Northern Border Regional Commission has on our state and region,” Kuster said in the release.

Projects in Maine, Vermont, and New York are receiving Catalyst Grant Awards as well.