February 15 - 19, 2021

EDA announced 28 investments from February 15-19, 2021, totaling $63,336,189, which is matched by $25,852,247 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $52,801,925 in 26 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes 21 projects for $50,501,137 that will help create 6,377 jobs, save 5,974 jobs, and leverage $516,150,000 in private investments; (2) $10,324,264 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project 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 that will help create 410 jobs, save 385 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment; and (3) $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $52,801,925 in 26 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $25,642,247 in local investments, as follows:
  • $4,511,548, matched by $1,127,887 in local investment, to the Perry County Port Authority, Tell City/Perry County, Indiana, to fund the Perry County Port Authority’s Bridge and Rail Added Capacity Enhancement (BRACE) Project to make railway infrastructure improvements needed to support the growth of manufacturing and other businesses in three local industrial parks. The project includes replacing two timber trestle bridges and rail approaches on the Hoosier Southern Railroad located at Milepost 8.1, over the Anderson River, and at Milepost 11.7, over the East Fork of Crooked Creek in Tell City, Indiana. Once completed, the two new bridges will provide additional reliability, reduced maintenance costs, and upgraded capacity to handle heavier freight, which will provide the region with another resource to strengthen its logistics cluster and diversify into other related clusters to become more resilient in response to disasters like the flooding that occurred in 2018 and 2019 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs, save 19 jobs, and leverage $1,500,000 in private investment.
  • $4,300,000, matched by $619,000 in local investment, to Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Port Arthur/Jefferson County, Texas, to support Lamar State College-Port Arthur with creating a new Commercial Driving Academy - Examination Center. The new center will include larger covered testing areas, a new classroom facility, and an examiner's center. Once completed, the project will support industrial expansion and investment in the area, which will help create sustainable jobs and boost workforce development throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 1,800 jobs and leverage $71,000,000 in private investment.
  • $3,770,000, matched by $943,182 in local investment, to Milam County, Cameron/Milam County, Texas, to support Milam County with revitalizing the vacant hospital complex in downtown Cameron, Texas, for commercial use and as an additional COVID-19 testing and medical care site. Once completed, the project will help increase the area’s economic resiliency, increase business diversification, and provide additional resources to Cameron to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 55 jobs, save 39 jobs, and leverage $4,600,000 in private investment.
  • $3,388,250, matched by $847,063 in local investment, to the City of Cohasset, Cohasset/Itasca County, Minnesota, to support the City of Cohasset with building a 25,000-square-foot facility to house manufacturing tenants and a business incubator in Itasca County, Minnesota, an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The project includes installation of on-site utilities, parking, sidewalks, and stormwater retention pond and all related appurtenances. The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have substantially affected small businesses in the region leading to possible losses of infrastructure and capacity. New and existing businesses will require support along with the tools and resources to restart and redevelop. The incubator and shared manufacturing space will provide a way for entrepreneurs to thrive in the region and create jobs to help diversify the industrial base and become more resilient in the face of future economic shocks. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 86 jobs, save 6 jobs, and leverage $900,000 in private investment.
  • $3,500,000, matched by $875,000 in local investment, to the City of Eagle Pass, Eagle Pass/Maverick County, Texas, to support small business growth by renovating a downtown, city-owned building for use as a small business incubator and retail center in Eagle Pass, Texas. The facility will support and attract a variety of industries, including retail, technology, real estate, and innovative energy solutions. Once completed, the project will create jobs, attract private investment, and help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 35 jobs and leverage $200,000 in private investment.
  • $3,000,000, matched by $1,000,000 in local investment, to the Town of Fairview, Fairview/Collin County, Texas, to fund construction of a new four-lane divided roadway that will create a primary access to Medical Center Drive in support of a hospital expansion and a mixed-use private development in Fairview, Texas. The project will aid Fairview’s long-term recovery by diversifying the regional economy and provide new employment opportunities for dislocated workers, which will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 300 jobs and leverage $117,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,867,824, matched by $716,957 in local investment, to the Village of Dickeyville, Dickeyville/Grant County, Wisconsin, to fund the construction of the Village of Dickeyville’s new industrial park to provide new industrial space to support its growing agricultural and machine equipment manufacturing sectors in Dickeyville, Wisconsin. The project will assist local leaders and stakeholders in creating new opportunities to expand their available industrial land offerings to enable future job growth in the area. Once completed, the project will create and save jobs, as well as spur private investment throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 70 jobs, save 26 jobs, and leverage $17,400,000 in private investment.
  • $2,750,000, matched by $687,500 in local investment, to the NDC Economic Development Lending, Inc., New York, New York (Project: Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz, California), to help capitalize a Revolving Loan Fund to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: County of Santa Cruz, California, nearby a designated Opportunity Zone. Once implemented, the project will alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, provide permanent resources to support economic resiliency, further the long-term economic adjustment objectives, create and retain jobs, and attract private investments, which will strengthen and advance the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 18 jobs, save 138 jobs, and leverage $1,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,500,000, matched by $6,876,478 in local investment, to the City of Kilgore/Kilgore College/CHRISTUS Health, Kilgore/Gregg County, Texas, to fund construction of two additional floors of new space on the northwest side of the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital for use as a health sciences education center in Kilgore, Texas. The Roy H. Laird Regional Medical Health Sciences Education Center will train workers for jobs in nursing and health sciences fields in a state-of-the-art facility. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 840 jobs and leverage $9,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,500,000, matched by $625,000 in local investment, to the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, West Sacramento/Yolo County, California (Project: San Andreas/Calaveras County, California), to help capitalize a Revolving Loan Fund to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Counties of Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Yuba. Once implemented, the project will alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, provide permanent resources to support economic resiliency, further the long-term economic adjustment objectives, create and retain jobs, and attract private investments, which will strengthen and advance the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 80 jobs, save 50 jobs, and leverage $8,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,400,000, matched by $600,000 in local investment, to the Alpena Community College, Alpena/Alpena County, Michigan, to support the Alpena Community College Manufacturing Skills Center Initiative to help create new training opportunities for the region’s workforce, which has experienced significant job losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Repurposing currently unoccupied lab space at the College will expand and modernize the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center and Welding Skills Center to allow for safe training conditions. The project will create new training opportunities for Northeast Michigan’s workforce and help boost job creation, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 274 jobs and leverage $15,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,400,000, matched by $600,000 in local investment, to the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Toledo/Lucas County, Ohio, to capitalize the new Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority EDA revolving loan fund, which will provide a critical source of capital for businesses located in the Toledo region. As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted businesses’ access to capital, many employers were required to reduce their workforce, causing job losses across region. This EDA-funded revolving loan fund will provide additional resources to Toledo region businesses struggling to retain their employees, continue operations, and succeed long-term. The grantee estimates that tis investment will help create 50 jobs, save 20 jobs, and leverage $250,000 in private investment.
  • $2,300,000, matched by $575,000 in local investment, to the City of Pflugerville, Pflugerville/Travis County, Texas, to support the City of Pflugerville with making critical roadway infrastructure improvements along the Pecan Street-Dessau Road Corridors to support business growth, including at the One Thirty Business Park in Pflugerville, Texas. The improvements will allow for additional travel lanes, turn lanes, as well as new sidewalks, traffic signals, and trail connections to connect the existing trails under the FM 1825 and FM 685 bridges. Once completed, the project will provide a catalyst for recovery and broaden the community’s resiliency efforts, which will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 1,000 jobs and leverage $250,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $5,449,103 in local investment, to the City of Lawton, Lawton/Comanche County, Oklahoma, to fund roadway improvements to Lee Boulevard to improve access to the Lawton Industrial Park, Great Plains Technology Institute, and Southwest Medical Center in Lawton, Oklahoma. The improvements will help support the flow of goods and products in and out of the Park, provide support to the Great Plains Technology Institute, which provides critical workforce training, and allow better access to healthcare being administered at the Southwest Medical Center. Once completed, the project will support the retention of jobs in the region impacted by disasters, both natural and economic. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 3,070 jobs.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $2,061,034 in local investment, to the Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. Des Moines/Polk County, Iowa, to support the Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center with purchasing equipment to be housed in the state-of-the-art telehealth training center that is currently being designed with assistance from Avera Health. The equipment will be used to help train students and Des Moines area healthcare providers in telehealth technologies critical to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 678 jobs.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the City of Thibodaux, Thibodaux/Lafourche County, Louisiana, to support the City of Thibodaux with upgrading the wastewater system, which will continue to support the many businesses located in the city allowing them to focus their energy on recovery and sustainability. The project will help the city continue to provide a modern wastewater treatment system that is safe for both the area residents and surrounding environment. The system supports myriad residential properties and a host of government, education, business, and industrial operations. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs and save 225 jobs.
  • $1,230,031, matched by $307,508 in local investment, to the Mid-America Regional Council Community Services Corporation/University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City/Jackson County, Missouri, to support the Mid-America Regional Council Community Services Corporation and the University of Missouri-Kansas City with establishing the Kansas City Regional Economic Recovery program to provide technical assistance to disadvantaged small businesses and strengthen workforce development programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The project will deliver small business assistance services and training with a specific focus on business owners of color and women-owned businesses, as well as career counseling and placement opportunities for workers in the region. Once implemented, the program will help addresses the region’s need to create and retain high-quality jobs while fostering a more resilient small business ecosystem to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 60 jobs and save 100 jobs.
  • $1,200,000, matched by $250,000 in local investment, to the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District, Bozeman/Gallatin County, Montana, to provide a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern Montana's Gallatin and Park Counties. Through the RLF, Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District will build upon its regional planning efforts and pandemic response by providing capital financing to impacted businesses. The RLF will provide the region with a local source of capital for new, existing, and expanding businesses, which will promote growth and recovery from the pandemic by retaining key clusters and increasing investment, employment, and economic resilience. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 40 jobs, save 125 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
  • $975,000, matched by $25,000 in local investment, to the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, Springfield/Greene County, Missouri, to capitalize a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide access to financing options to address economic resiliency effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Missouri. The Southwest Missouri Council of Governments is addressing the impacts of the current pandemic by providing capital financing to the surrounding communities of: Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, Webster, Barton, Jasper, McDonald, and Newton Counties in Missouri. The RLF will provide the community with a local source of capital for new, existing, and expanding businesses, which will promote the growth and development by increasing investment, employment, and economic diversity throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 19 jobs and leverage $1,900,000 in private investment.
  • $782,788, matched by $195,697 in local investment, to the California Academy for Economic Development, Sacramento/Sacramento County, California, to fund the expansion of the Outsmart Disaster Campaign, a statewide education and training campaign designed by the California Academy for Economic Development to communicate risks, provide resources, and call to action businesses, economic developers, and organizations across the state so they become more prepared to reduce damages and speed up business recovery from the COVID-19 economic downturn. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $700,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the Louisiana Department of Transportation/Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts, Baton rouge/East Baton Rouge County, Louisiana, to support the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts, in collaboration with the Governor’s Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana (BEL) Commission, with establishing a Louisiana Broadband Strategy. Through this collaboration, partners at the state and regional Planning and Development District level will incorporate regional priorities and recommendations to sustain the efforts of the BEL Commission. These efforts include creating coverage and asset maps at the regional level to facilitate implementation, capturing accurate snapshots of regional and state broadband capacity and needs, and identifying solutions and supports through technical assistance. Once implemented, the strategy is expected to create a more resilient Louisiana through adopting a systemic approach that promotes access to equitable opportunities and resources across the state.
  • $678,000, matched by $296,768 in local investment, to the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ontario/San Bernardino County, California, to fund the development of the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau (GOCVB) Back-to-Business Marketing Plan targeted to meeting and event planners. GOCVB Travel and Tourism industries have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts to the area have been devastating. The plan will help stimulate meeting and convention bookings within the local region, thereby contributing to the revitalization of the regional economy. Once implemented, the plan will also help to create awareness of the Greater Ontario region as an affordable and safe location for future meetings and conventions with event locations, hotels and restaurants adhering to new health safety standards as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • $608,484, matched by $154,070 in local investment, to the Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia/Boone County, Missouri, to support the Curators of the University of Missouri with establishing the Consortium to Enhance Innovation, Resilience, and Agility in Missouri’s Manufacturers, which will provide individual business consultation, educational sessions and technology assessment and adoption services in the following areas: business model and enterprise management, technology innovation, process and project management, market research and opportunities, workforce assessment and training, as well as agility, resilience and business continuity training, education, and assistance for manufacturers in the state. Once implemented, the Consortium will facilitate activities that allow companies to leverage resources, collectively invest in workforce training and seek complementary opportunities for product and technology development while learning from one another through regional interactions. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 761 jobs, save 1,082 jobs, and leverage $6,300,000 in private investment.
  • $300,000, matched by $75,000 in local investment, to the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, San Francisco/San Francisco County, California, to support the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, with providing COVID-19 Pandemic recovery and resiliency technical assistance services to support over 400 minority and women-owned businesses in Contra Costa County, California, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will provide the following services: business consulting, industry-specific business and technology training, access to markets, and networking events. Once implemented, the project will help to strengthen the regional economy and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 400 jobs, save 800 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
  • $100,000, matched by $25,000 in local investment, to the Sun Corridor, Inc., Tucson/Pima County, Arizona, to support Sun Corridor Inc. (SCI) with establishing the Recovery & Resilience Plan, a comprehensive, long-range strategic plan defining where resources need to be focused to improve the short- and long-term competitiveness post COVID-19 in Tucson, Arizona. SCI will lead the process with a board including leaders from both the public and private sector, to complete a market analysis within 9 months and develop recommendations and a multi-phased implementation plan. The multi-phased implementation plan will guide public and private organizational decisions related to workforce and infrastructure investments that will address the impacts of COVID-19, which will which help diversify the local economy and promote economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $40,000, matched by $10,000 in local investment, to the Wood County Development Authority, Parkersburg/Wood County, West Virginia, to support the Wood County Development Authority with addressing the economic and social impact of COVID-19 by conducting a feasibility study for a small business incubator and coworking space. The study will inform stakeholders on the viability of developing a small business incubator/coworking space in downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia, a designated Opportunity Zone. Once completed, the project will help the region create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency in an area severely impacted by the downturn in the oil and gas industries.
• $10,324,264 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, as follows:
  • $10,324,264 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funds, with no local match, to the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, Saipan/Saipan County, Northern Mariana Islands, to fund the construction of a building for use as a workforce career training facility on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. The new facility will allow the region to continue and expand the training of skilled workers to meet the current and future need to provide staffing for local employers. These improvements will serve to support the capacity of employers to make higher skill employment opportunities and higher personal incomes available to the region’s workforce. Once completed, the project will provide the region with the capacity to economically recover in the aftermath of a major disaster, which will create jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 410 jobs, save 385 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
• $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project, matched by $210,000 in local investment, 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.