MARTINSVILLE, Va. -

A grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission is helping to create jobs in Martinsville.

On Tuesday, Martinsville City Council announced the Integrative Centers for Science and Medicine & College of Henricopolis School of Medicine were given an $800,000 Tobacco Regional Opportunity Fund grant to assist in the development of a medical school in Martinsville.

111 new jobs will be created and $3 million will be invested over the next three years in the project.

The money will also allow renovations to be done on the Shackelford building and enable the medical school to lease three floors of the Jefferson Plaza building while construction is being completed.

Heres the news release from the City of Martinsville:

The Martinsville City Council is pleased to announce that the Virginia Tobacco Commission has awarded an $800,000 Tobacco Regional Opportunity Fund grant to assist Integrative Centers for Science and Medicine & College of Henricopolis School of Medicine in proceeding with the development of a medical school in Martinsville, creating 111 new jobs and investing $3.0 million over the next three years.

The Tobacco Commission award puts the medical schools Shackelford Campaign over its $1 million fund-raising goal, and will allow environmental hazard removal and interior demolition to begin on its Shackelford Building, originally donated by Dr. and Mrs. Mervyn King of Martinsville. The award will also enable the medical school to lease three floors of the Jefferson Plaza building formerly occupied by New College Institute for faculty, instructional, and administrative offices before building renovations are completed. On behalf of the City of Martinsville, we are extremely pleased that Integrative Centers for Science and Medicine & College of Henricopolis School of Medicine are moving forward with the medical school project and in particular, staying in our Uptown area. Under Dr. Boazs leadership, this project is gaining momentum and ultimately will have a significant impact to both Martinsville and the surrounding community. We offer congratulations on the success of ICSM and CHSM and look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come, said Danny Turner, Mayor of the City of Martinsville.

The City of Martinsville has worked in partnership with Dr. Boaz and ICSM/CHSM to move the project toward implementation. The City recently donated property needed for the expansion of the Shackelford Building located at the corner of Fayette and Moss Streets and in addition to the Tobacco Regional Opportunity Fund grant, the project also qualifies for local Enterprise Zone assistance offered by the City of Martinsville.

"Because of this financial commitment by the Tobacco Commission, Dr. Boaz's vision to create a medical school in Southside that will train primary care physicians who will treat people who live in underserved and underprivileged areas in Virginia, can now become a reality. This medical school will be a critical component of our ongoing efforts to ensure that all Virginians in both the rural and urban areas of our region have access to quality primary healthcare. As an ardent supporter of both Dr. Boaz and the Henricopolis School of Medicine, I know that this investment by the Tobacco Commission will greatly benefit the citizens of Southside for generations to come, noted Senator Bill Stanley and Virginia Tobacco Commissioner.

More:

111 jobs to be created over next three years in Martinsville