Grant

May 13 - 17, 2013

$3,431,600 in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, to support the development of a new coalition and first-class training and workforce development center operated by the Hudson Valley Food and Beverage Alliance (Alliance) at the Marriott Pavilion located on the campus of the Culinary Institute of America to help local flood-ridden farmers in the Hudson Valley recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. The Culinary Institute will serve as the hub for the Alliance, which will provide farms and agri-businesses in the Hudson Valley with the resources, training, services, and essential support necessary to recover from the natural disasters, sustain their current farming operations, as well as expand and create new economic opportunities to make the region more resilient to future disasters. This investment is part of a $5,816,612 project that the grantee estimates will create 32 jobs and leverage $7 million in private investment.
$2.02 million in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the City of Savanna, Illinois, to demolish the city of Savannah’s old flood-damaged water treatment plant and construct a new facility in a location that will be able to support the expansion of two manufacturing companies and to spur continued growth in the region. The old plant was overwhelmed by significant flooding on the Mississippi River, and the region suffered severe economic loss. This investment will help Illinois capitalize on its competitive strengths, assist in the region’s long-term recovery efforts, and promote disaster resiliency. This investment is part of a $9,945,200 project that the grantee estimates will create 20 jobs and save 220 jobs.
$2 million in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the US Virgin Islands Government, Economic Development Authority, St. Thomas/St. Croix/St. John, Virgin Island, to support the creation of a Disaster Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) for small and mid-sized businesses focused on commercial, manufacturing, retail, construction, and business services located in St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John that have been affected by federally-declared natural disasters. The Disaster Relief RLF will offer a range of loan services and implement strategies over the long term to support the creation and retention of businesses and job preservation and address economic distress in the face of future nature disasters. This investment is part of a $2,409,638 project.
$800,000 in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the City of Stamford, Connecticut, to support the rehabilitation and replacement of obsolete and vulnerable infrastructure at the Dyke Lane Pumping Station, which was weakened, deteriorated, and stressed by flooding from Tropical Strom Irene. This infrastructure is a core part of the Stamford Hurricane Protection Barrier project whose main objective is to promote the economic resiliency of one of the most active and growing commercial business districts in New England. Currently, Stamford remains vulnerable to disaster from storm and flood surges from the Long Island Sound. Rehabilitation of this infrastructure will help alleviate the risk of losing billions of dollars in existing and planned economic development in Stamford’s downtown and South End redevelopment areas and will enhance the region’s overall resiliency to future storm events. This investment is part of a $1 million project that the grantee estimates will create 1,653 jobs, save 2,705 jobs, and leverage $32 million in private investment.
$265,616 in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the City of Popular Bluff, Missouri, to fund the construction of storm water drainage infrastructure for the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park, which was damaged and temporarily closed due to flooding in 2011. By improving the industrial park’s storm water drainage system, future closures caused by flood waters will be avoided and available space will be marketable to businesses seeking to locate in the industrial park, enhancing the resiliency of the park in flood events. This investment is part of a $332,020 project.
$200,000 in FY 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity funds to the City of Bristol, the Town of Plainville, and the Town of Plymouth, Connecticut, to support the Bristol-Plainville-Plymouth Pequabuck River Flooding Study that will evaluate flooding and its effects on economic development in the communities of Bristol, Plainville and Plymouth, Connecticut, which were severely impacted by Tropical Storm Irene and other natural disasters in 2011. The study is a necessary first step to implementing flood mitigation projects that will result in the identification of strategies to alleviate flooding in the Pequabuck River watershed, with a focus on flood-prone commercial areas in each community. Overall, the project will assist in long-term disaster resiliency planning that will provide an economic development roadmap for a more resilient future. This investment is part of a $250,000 project.