Carbon Hill, Alabama – “The Rebirth of a Town”
Location: Carbon Hill, AL
Scope: Development of up to 1,000 sustainable housing units including tiny homes, 3D-printed residences, and modular units made from hemp-based or other green building materials. This diversified mix allows for flexibility, affordability, and environmental resilience in design and delivery.
Target Group: Veterans, low-income families, single mothers, aging residents, and formerly incarcerated individuals seeking reentry support.
Features:
- Green technology: Solar energy systems, rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient appliances
- ADA-compliant: Senior- and disability-friendly layouts
- Mixed-use areas: Walkable retail, health and wellness hubs, job centers, and food access solutions
- Trauma-informed design: Quiet zones, community gardens, spiritual reflection spaces
Integrated Services:
- Wraparound support through the Viviscent Wellness Foundation
- Workforce development programs
- Mental health, addiction recovery, and reintegration services
Status: Land secured; community planning, site engineering, and permitting are in progress
Vision: This project is designed as a flagship model for rural revitalization—rebuilding Carbon Hill not just with housing, but with hope, opportunity, and long-term economic security.
Alignment: Anchored within the broader I-22 Corridor Revitalization Initiative, eligible for HUD, USDA, FEMA, and CRA-aligned investment
I-22 Corridor Revitalization Initiative
Location: Walker, Winston, and Marion Counties, Alabama
Scope: The I-22 Corridor Revitalization Initiative is a large-scale, multi-phase rural transformation plan focused on revitalizing underserved communities along the Interstate 22 corridor in Northwest Alabama. This initiative integrates housing innovation, sustainable industry recruitment, and veteran-focused workforce development to foster long-term economic and community resilience.
Strategic Components:
- Housing Innovation: Affordable modular and container-based housing communities including tiny homes, 3D-printed units, and hemp-based construction for veterans, seniors, and reentry citizens.
- Industrial Recruitment: Relocation of hemp processors and bio-based manufacturers, focused on textiles, biochar, bioplastics, and carbon-negative building materials.
- Green Infrastructure: Solar fields, rainwater systems, eco-septic tech, and sustainable land management. Includes demonstration sites for hempcrete and renewable energy innovation.
- Workforce & Reentry Programs: Job training and business incubation targeting veterans, justice-involved individuals, and displaced workers with full wraparound services.
- Land Utilization: Redevelopment of decommissioned coal sites and timber lands. ±10,338-acre anchor site (under review with CBRE) is a key element in Phase One deployment.
Status: Land assessments and partner outreach are underway. Initial site engineering and infrastructure funding pathways are in active development.
Vision: To transform the I-22 corridor into a nationally recognized rural economic innovation zone—serving as a replicable model of regenerative development, sustainability, and inclusive prosperity.
Alignment: Fully eligible for HUD, USDA, FEMA, CRA, and Opportunity Zone incentives. Strategically aligned with Alabama’s rural investment goals and national infrastructure priorities.
Hemp Industry Partnerships
Focus Area: Alabama
Overview: The Hemp Industry Partnerships initiative is a core component of the I-22 Corridor strategy and broader mission to attract sustainable industries into underserved rural regions. The goal is to recruit, relocate, and establish a network of hemp-based companies across the manufacturing, construction, textiles, biofuel, and regenerative agriculture sectors — using Alabama as a central production and innovation hub.
Strategic Objectives:
- Manufacturing Recruitment: Target global and U.S.-based hemp businesses in biochar, hempcrete, textiles, plastics alternatives, and paper products for relocation to Alabama. Focus on companies with 5+ years of operational success and interest in U.S. expansion.
- Vertical Integration: Build a full industrial hemp value chain within the region — from farming and fiber processing to finished consumer and industrial goods.
- Incentive Structuring: Offer relocation support through land access, tax credits, workforce development grants, Opportunity Zones, and carbon credit programs. VWF is prepared to support these partnerships with letters of intent, grant alignment, and infrastructure coordination.
- Carbon & Sustainability Focus: Promote hemp's regenerative benefits including carbon sequestration, soil healing, and clean water contribution. Partners are encouraged to develop tracking systems for ESG and carbon-offset reporting.
- Workforce & Local Economic Impact: Create long-term job opportunities for veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and local workers in hemp processing plants, green construction, and agricultural support services.
- Innovation & R&D: Establish demonstration farms, material testing labs, and education hubs to support research in hemp-based construction materials (hempcrete, insulation), battery casings, automotive parts, and packaging.
Status: Outreach is active with dozens of hemp companies globally. Discussions underway with manufacturers in Poland, Nepal, India, and Canada, as well as several established U.S. companies. Finder’s fee model and manufacturing partnerships are in active development.
Vision: To make Alabama the national epicenter for hemp-based innovation and production — advancing clean industry, sustainable construction, rural employment, and U.S. supply chain independence.
Alignment: Eligible for USDA Rural Development, HUD green innovation incentives, SBA industrial site loans, and DOE sustainability grants.
Shipping Container Business & Entrepreneurial Villages
Location: Alabama (Primary launch site)
Overview: This initiative is designed to transform underutilized land and downtown zones into vibrant modular villages made from repurposed shipping containers. These hubs will provide space for local businesses, wellness providers, veteran-owned enterprises, artists, and food entrepreneurs — while also serving as economic incubators and job creation engines for underserved populations.
Core Components:
- Retail & Culinary Activation: Affordable kiosk-sized storefronts and container kitchens for local food, beverage, and product vendors, supporting both permanent tenants and pop-up events.
- Health & Wellness Integration: Onsite space for mental health counselors, trauma recovery services, holistic care, and community programming, especially focused on veterans and families.
- Business Incubation: Flexible, low-cost units for startups, craftspeople, micro-enterprises, and nonprofits to launch and scale. Includes access to workshops, shared back-office services, and marketing support.
- Design & Sustainability: Multi-level stacked containers arranged around a central courtyard with outdoor seating, green landscaping, solar lighting, rainwater systems, and ADA accessibility.
- Veteran Employment & Ownership: Job training, ownership opportunities, and vendor priority will be given to veterans, justice-involved individuals, and marginalized community members.
- Events & Community Culture: Programming space for music, markets, educational events, and community festivals — promoting civic engagement and tourism.
Status: Site selection, architectural planning, and community engagement are underway. Carbon Hill, AL has been identified as the flagship development zone, with phased rollouts planned in other Alabama communities.
Vision: To create scalable, sustainable commercial villages that bring vibrancy, opportunity, and ownership back to underserved communities — while showcasing modern green building practices and circular economy principles.
Alignment: Eligible for CRA funding, HUD community development grants, USDA Rural Business Development programs, SBA microenterprise support, and Opportunity Zone incentives.
Note: This is also a job creation and entrepreneur incubator project
Aeon Medical Transport Expansion
Region: Florida (Flagship operations, with future growth planned for Alabama)
Overview: Aeon Medical Transport is a woman-owned, veteran-led enterprise providing non-emergency medical transportation services for veterans, seniors, and underserved populations. As a social impact initiative under the Viviscent Wellness Foundation, Aeon aims to improve equitable healthcare access through reliable, compassionate, and community-rooted transport solutions.
Service Priorities:
- Veteran transport to VA clinics, trauma recovery, and reintegration programs
- Support for seniors and individuals with disabilities needing access to care and community services
- Health access for low-income families and rural populations
Development Goals:
- Fleet expansion with hybrid/electric vehicles
- Driver recruitment focused on veterans and justice-involved individuals
- Tech-enabled dispatch, routing, and care coordination
- Service integration with VWF housing, wellness, and aging-in-place projects
Status: Operating in Florida; seeking funding to expand capacity and scale regionally. Aeon will also bring needed freight and transport logistics support to Alabama projects as expansion continues.
Vision: To be a national model in veteran- and woman-led medical mobility, improving lives through dignity-centered transportation.
Alignment: Eligible for FTA grants, Medicaid and VA reimbursements, SBA and CRA-qualified lending, and impact investor support.