Grant

June 28 - July 2, 2021

EDA announced 15 investments from June 28-July 2, 2021, totaling $13,681,710 , which is matched by $10,085,819 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $5,828,280 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes three projects for $4,933,320 that will help create 4,239 jobs, save 5,797 jobs, and leverage $436,000,000 in private investments; (2) $820,550 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; (3) $6,244,880 in three Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 760 job, save 363 jobs, and leverage $63,200,000 in private investments; (4) $118,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (6) $670,000 in six Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

  • $5,828,280 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $3,659,513 in local investments, as follows:
    • $2,183,320, matched by $552,519 in local investment, to the Regents of the University of California, Davis/Yolo County, California, to support the Regents of the University of California with establishing the Verde Innovation Network for Entrepreneurship (VINE) at the University of California-Davis. The VINE is a new commercialization center that will support the scaling of high-growth startup companies to strengthen and grow the food and farming economies of California, particularly in the state’s rural and urban designated Opportunity Zones. The project will address existing food and agriculture industry challenges to support food system resiliency and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will advance the manufacturing industry through the commercialization of new innovative technologies for the regions food system, which will create higher paying jobs, support entrepreneurialism, spur private investment, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 3,047 jobs, save 3,047 jobs, and leverage $436,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,750,000, matched by $2,637,842 in local investment, to the CHI Health St. Francis/Grand Island Public Schools, Grand Island/Hall County, Nebraska, to fund renovation of the CHI St. Francis Hospital’s medical center to support the expansion of healthcare vocational training programs in Grand Island, Nebraska. The project will provide entry into a variety of occupational pathways ensuring a pipeline for health care workers in a rural area of central Nebraska to meet the local demand. Once completed, the project will help diversify the regional economy and support workforce development in the healthcare industry, which will bolster job creation and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 42 jobs.
    • $1,000,000, matched by $332,192 in local investment, to the City of Oakland/Spanish Speaking Unity Council/Black Cultural Zone, Oakland/Alameda County, California, to provide technical assistance to small businesses along International Boulevard, a five-mile commercial corridor that incorporates thirty designated Opportunity Zones between West and East Oakland and has been continuously devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with community stakeholders, the City of Oakland, Spanish Speaking Unity Council, and the Black Cultural Zone will focus on cultural-driven 1-on-1 business technical assistance in critical areas of business planning, finance, marketing, technology, and management. Once completed, the project will help stimulate economic growth by attracting new businesses and jobs to the area, which will lead to improved conditions and economic vitality for Oakland and surrounding areas and help the region recover from the economic effects of COVID-19. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 1,150 jobs and save 2,750 jobs.
    • $894,960, matched by $136,960 in local investment, to the Ho-Chuck Nation, Black River Falls/Jackson County, Wisconsin, to support the Ho-Chunk Nation with developing its new Economic Diversification Strategy to help spur efforts to engage in new economic sectors such as value-added agriculture, renewable energy, IT, healthcare, education, tourism, manufacturing, and retail services in Jackson County, Wisconsin. Located in a designated Opportunity Zone, the project will help guide the Nation’s assessment of current resources and capacity to enter new markets and provide new economic opportunities to tribal-owned businesses and members. Once implemented, the project will help the region recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, increase economic growth and diversification, bolster job creation, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $820,550 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, with no local match, as follows:
    • $820,550, with no local match, to the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Dulce/Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, to provide technical assistance and development of an organization to help the Jicarilla Apache Nation derive economic benefits from their oil and gas resources. In addition to aiding the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the project will create a template for other Tribes to increase energy profitability and develop a Tribal energy consortium. The project and organization created will include a workforce training component and lead to direct jobs for the Tribe, which will help spur private investment and advance resiliency throughout the region.
  • $6,244,880 in three Public Works projects, matched by $5,853,306 in local investments, as follows:
    • $2,760,580, matched by $690,146 in local investment, to the Starke County Initiative for Lifelong Learning, Inc., Know/Starke County, Indiana, to support the Starke County Initiative for Lifelong Learning Inc. (SCILL) with constructing a new 12,000 square foot workforce training center to house the Welding and AREM programs and administration offices of the SCILL in Starke County, Indiana. The project will provide a central location with state-of-the-art equipment and resources to expand critical workforce training programs in precision welding, automation, robotics, and equipment maintenance. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, bolster job creation, spur private investment, and strengthen economic growth throughout the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 640 jobs and leverage $24,100,000 in private investment.
    • $2,200,000, matched by $3,878,860 in local investment, to the City of West Plains, West Plains/Howell County, Missouri, to support the City of West Plains with addressing the local and regional need for safe and resilient critical infrastructure to support local industries by replacing an at-grade railroad crossing with a bridge that will span a flood-prone creek and the rail lines in West Plains, Missouri, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will improve transportation safety around the rail crossings as well as mitigate negative impacts of flooding that regularly occur in the area. Once completed, the project will add regional connectivity, reduce the cost of business, and facilitate industrial growth by creating jobs and attracting private investment, which will help to make West Plains a competitive location in the region to boost economic development. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs and leverage $31,400,000 in private investment.
    • $1,284,300, matched by $1,284,300 in local investment, to the Town of Avilla, Avilla/Noble County, Indiana, to support the Town of Avilla with expanding its industrial park in Noble County, Indiana. The 81-acre industrial park expansion will provide the Town with a critical asset to maintain its competitiveness as a regional hub for transportation, distribution, and logistics (TDL) operations. Once completed, the project will help with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, attract TDL businesses, support the growth of existing businesses, retain and create jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 70 jobs, save 363 jobs, and leverage $7,700,000 in private investment.
  • $118,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project, matched by $118,000 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.
  • $670,000 in six Partnership Planning projects, matched by $455,000 in local investments, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS). 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.