NEWPORT — The town has been awarded $1 million by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority from the Community Center Investment Program to help fund construction of a new community center on Meadow Road.

Finance Director Paul Brown said the money will pay down the $1 million approved by voters at Town Meeting on May 14 under a warrant article for recreation facilities capital reserve fund.

The warrant article states that the $1 million would come from “grants, donations or other sources.” Another $10,000 approved under the same article will be raised from taxation.

“We are very happy and want to thank Executive Councilors (Cinde) Warmington and (Joseph) Kenney who supported this and our local representatives who got behind it,” Brown said Thursday.

Newport’s grant was part of  $8.5 million the CDFA awarded to several towns for similar projects.

The Community Center Investment Program has provided a total of $20 million in resources to community centers across New Hampshire.

Newport’s community center, which is expected to cost a total of $8.87 million, is currently under construction. It is expected to open by the end of the year.

The town also has received $1.12 million from InvestNH, a state program aimed at encouraging construction of workforce housing, Brown said.

For every eligible unit, Newport received $10,000. There are 42 units in a new building on Spring Street and another 70 units are under construction in the former Ruger Mill on Sunapee Street.

Of the InvestNH money, $188,000 will go into the water and sewer department access fees account, Brown said.

The town agreed last December to reduce the connection fees for both projects by 70% after the developers went to court claiming the fees being charged by the town were “arbitrary and unlawful.” 

The Selectboard will discuss what to do with the remainder of the InvestNH money but those discussions have not started, Brown said.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.