In an interview, Gonzales said NMTI has completed the preliminary vetting. “We are tentatively approved for our grant application.”
He said NMTI must now submit several documents, including certification of its status as a public technical institute as well as environmental, biological, and historical review clearance for the trade school’s public land site.
“These are typically standard requirements for any future construction projects,” Gonzales added.
The $10 million grant, he said, will fund the construction of a new technical institute campus in Koblerville.
NMTI chief executive officer Agnes M. McPhetres, for her part, clarified that the construction of a dormitory is not included in the EDA grant application, saying that they will apply for another grant to fund the construction of a dormitory.
Gonzales said the $10 million from EDA, other federal grants, and the CNMI government’s financial support will help realize NMTI’s vision, which is to “bring the NMI to greater heights” through modern technical and trades education.
