Danville City Council accepted Tuesday night several federal and state grants, including $1.125 million for a company that has existing contracts to provide an allergy lozenge to CVS, Walgreens and other major retailers.
The company, AllergEase, has moved its headquarters, marketing and distribution operation from Northern Virginia to Danville in order to take advantage of lower operating costs and grant assistance programs.
The grant is from the Virginia Tobacco Commission. City Council voted unanimously to appropriate the grant for AllergEase.
AllergEase has temporary offices at the Dan River Business Development Center and plans to move into permanent office space at the Pemberton Lofts on Bridge Street. The company also is leasing distribution space at the former RJR Building on Bridge Street. The company has begun hiring professionals to handle marketing services.
The Tobacco Commission awarded the grant for the project based in part on the company’s plans to create 150 jobs with an average wage of $40,000 and to make a capital investment of $7.5 million over three years. The grant payment will be made in three installments.
City Council also accepted a matching grant of $625,000 from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The city will use the grant to repair drainage and reduce flooding on Riverside Drive at Courtland Street. The city also will make improvements to North Davis Drive, Davis Drive, Terry Drive and Highland Boulevard.
Council accepted a $86,999 grant from the state for electronic monitoring and outreach detention programs for juvenile defenders. It also accepted a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts for local arts organizations, with the city matching the contribution.