Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X I X S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 1 6 Cities and towns to receive $119M in rescue funds Gov. Janet Mills unveiled a fiscal recovery program to distribute $119.2 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to local governments statewide. e state received $59.6 million from the U.S. Treasury for immediate distribution, with a second tranche of equal value expected in approximately one year and to be distributed at that time. e pro- gram is part of a more than $4.5 billion federal investment in Maine from the American Rescue Plan Act, which also includes stimulus payments to Maine families, recovery efforts like bolster- ing public health including COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, broadband infrastructure, and direct payments to Maine's county governments and so- called "entitlement" cities. e remain- ing approximately $1 billion in ARPA funding to Maine will be used to deploy the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, the state's investment into priorities such as child care, workforce housing, clean drinking water, workforce development, energy efficiency and heritage industries. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that the Maine State Housing Authority received $1 million to allow low-income seniors to stay in their homes through low-cost home modifications that will reduce older adults' risk of falling. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Older Adults Home Modification Program. B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E Experience Gray, ME- The Roadto Your Company's Future S p r i n g M e a d o w s G o l f C o u r s e 2 0 2 1 N e w E n g l a n d G C o f t h e Y e a r T O W N O F G R A Y 2 4 M a i n S t r e e t , G r a y , M E 0 4 0 3 9 2 0 7 . 6 5 7 . 3 1 1 2 w w w . g r a y m a i n e . o r g C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t D e p t . D o u g W e b s t e r , A I C P d w e b s t e r @ g r a y m a i n e . o r g Husson's College of Business opens doors to new campus building B y R e n e e C o r d e s B a n g o r — Days before the start of fall semester at Husson University, the school marked the official opening of its new, $17.5 million College of Business building in Bangor. The new Harold Alfond Hall, located at 62 Kagan Drive on the school's flagship campus, is named for the philan- thropist and late founder of Dexter Shoe Co., Harold Alfond, whose eponymous foundation donated $4 million in 2017. The building's experiential learning facilities are state-of- the-art, according to the school. "Our goal was to create the best possible experiential learning space possible and I can confirm we achieved our objectives," said Marie Hansen, dean of the College of Business and New England School of Communications at Husson and a 2021 Mainebiz Woman to Watch honoree. "This new building will serve as a lasting and commanding physical monument of the importance the College of Business has had over the past century, and will continue to have for the next 100 years. The College of Business students I have spoken with are excited to begin classes this fall in this new location." Husson University President Robert A. Clark added that the new building will create important synergies with the regional business community, predicting that it "will be the place where community partnerships are developed that foster economic growth here in Maine." A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Aug. 26, a little more than a year after construction began, and just in time for the start of the fall semester. Construction was managed by Sheridan Construction Corp. Husson embarked on the undertaking after wrapping up its first comprehensive capital campaign, which raised $38 million, including the $4 million donation from the Harold Alfond Foundation. The campaign had an original fundrais- ing goal of $21 million. Facilities inside the new building include a 360-degree con- figuration with touch screens and stock tickers inside the Ronan Center for Financial Technology, and the iEX Center equipped with an extended reality lab and a control room, devoted to teaching and creating immersive interactive experiences. Hansen told Mainebiz that the virtual reality set-up is unique for New England, giving students the chance to cre- ate solutions as opposed to just operating the equipment. "It's important to be on the cutting edge of technology and really prepare our students for the jobs that don't yet exist," she said. Hansen and seven other Women to Watch will be honored at a Mainebiz reception in Portland on Sept. 17. While data on the incoming class was not immediately available, a spokesman for the school told Mainebiz that at the end of the fall 2020 semester, 1,250 students were enrolled in various programs at Husson's College of Business. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F H U S S O N U N I V E R S I T Y Our goal was to create the best possible experiential learning space possible and I can confirm we achieved our objectives. — Marie Hansen Dean of the College of Business and New England School of Communications at Husson B R I E F Harold Alfond Hall is the new home of Husson University's College of Business, in Bangor.

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