Grant

August 17 - 21, 2020

EDA announced 90 investments from August 17-21, 2020, totaling $66,907,159, which is matched by $14,796,255 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $8,168,372 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to help communities design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change to their economy in response to structural damage to their underlying economic base, which includes two investments for $7,568,372 that will help create 419 jobs and leverage $25,000,000 in private investments; (2) $50,888,946 in 77 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic; (3) $6,574,991 in two Public Works project to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 186 jobs and leverage $69,480,000 in private investments; (4) $112,850 in one Technical Assistance University Center project to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (5) $1,162,000 in six Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.
- $8,168,372 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $2,139,914 in local investments, as follows:
  - $4,068,372 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $1,017,093 in local investment, to the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Mandan/Morton County, North Dakota, to support the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperative with addressing the local and regional need for a resilient and skilled workforce by constructing a new line worker training facility in Morton County, North Dakota. The new facility will accommodate year-round training to support rural communities and communities recovering from coal plant closures with their need for a diverse and skilled workforce. In addition, the project will assist with recovery efforts from natural disasters, which will help increase resiliency, create jobs, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 69 jobs.
  - $3,500,000 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $967,977 in local investment, to the City of Ruston/Louisiana Tech University, Ruston/Lincoln County, Louisiana, to support the City of Ruston and Louisiana Tech University with developing a community infrastructure initiative to assist with recovery efforts from the 2019 Spring tornado in Lincoln County, Louisiana. The project includes three components: establishing a hardened redundant electrical feed of the Tennessee Ave substation, hardened electrical feed along North Maple Street, and the Smart Cities Innovation Testbed, which expands the city-owned fiberoptic network and appurtenances. The upgraded infrastructure and expanded broadband will improve access to jobs, healthcare and social support services, which will benefit two Opportunity Zones near the historic downtown Ruston area, attract private investment, create jobs, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 350 jobs and leverage $25,000,000 in private investment.
  - $400,000 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to the Sparta Ground Water Conservation District, Ruston/Lincoln County, Louisiana, to support the Sparta Groundwater Conservation District Commission with conducting a three-phase aquifer study to update the current Groundwater Model with an emphasis on disaster mitigation planning for the region. The Sparta Aquifer currently serves as the primary source of potable water for sixteen northern Louisiana parishes in which seven of the parishes receive ninety percent of their water. With the increase of natural disasters, many of the parishes face a compromised water system that can lessen the quality and quantity of water supplied throughout the North Louisiana region. The project will assist the region with disaster mitigation efforts by forecasting aquifer levels and identifying potential economic development opportunities near designated Opportunity Zones, which will enhance economic resiliency and strengthen the regional economy.
  - $200,000 in Assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities, matched by $54,844 in local investment, to the Town of Plymouth/Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to support the Town of Plymouth with conducting a feasibility study to determine Plymouth’s capacity to establish a brick-and-mortar Entrepreneurship Center and implement support programs to assist entrepreneurs from idea stage through start-up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, an area hit hard by the closure of a nuclear power plant. The project will enable the community to lay the groundwork for future economic development and diversification, which will enhance job creation and retention, spur private investment, and advance resiliency throughout the region.
- $50,888,946 in 77 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID- 19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, as follows:
  - $27,531,885 in 17 COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to the following grantees to capitalize Revolving Loan Funds:
  - $23,357,061 in 60 COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to the following Partnership Planning grantees to provide supplemental financial assistance to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the unusual and compelling urgency of the coronavirus pandemic:
- $6,574,991 in two Public Works projects, matched by $11,642,375 in local investments, as follows:
  - $3,600,658, matched by $3,600,658 in local investment, to the Port of Woodland, Woodland/Cowlitz County, Washington, to support the full infrastructure buildout of Rose Way Industrial Park, the construction of Rose Way Roadway, and one 23,000 square foot metal prefabricated building within Rose Way Industrial Park in Cowlitz County, Washington. The project allows the Port of Woodland to create much-needed space for businesses in light-manufacturing industries and create additional employment and economic opportunities for nearby communities, which will attract private investment and enhance and diversify the marketability of the economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 126 jobs and leverage $6,480,000 in private investment.
  - $2,974,333, matched by $8,041,717 in local investment, to the Butte-Silver Bow Consolidate, Butte/Silver Bow County, Montana, to fund construction of a new rail system at the Port of Montana located within an industrial park in Silver Bow County. The additional rail space will provide opportunities for businesses lacking direct rail access to ship via rail and serve as a satellite location for shipments and/or distribution of products. Once completed, the project will enable new park tenants to receive raw materials, which will increase competitiveness and allow access to global markets, create jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs and leverage $63,000,000 in private investment.
- $112,850 in one Technical Assistance University Center project, matched by $28,216 in local investment, to support a five-year University Center (UC) program, which is a competitively-based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community.
- $1,162,000 in six Partnership Planning projects, matched by $985,750 in local investments, to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) process. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.