May 13 - 19, 2022

EDA announced 23 investments from May 13-19, 2022, totaling $59,100,821, which is matched by $20,082,608 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $10,326,440 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic that will help create 215 jobs and save 200 jobs; (2) 42,010,659 in 16 American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to respond to and recover from the devastating impacts to the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes 12 projects for $39,159,326 that will help create 1,783 jobs, save 1,735 jobs, and leverage $750,000,000 in private investments; (3) $165,722 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; (4) $6,388,000 in two Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 160 jobs, save 143 jobs, and leverage $49,800,000 in private investments; and (5) $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $10,326,440 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Projects, matched by $5,076,440 in local investments, as follows:
  • $5,000,000, matched by $1,250,000 in local investment, to the Municipality of Jayuya/Jayuya County, Puerto Rico, to support the construction of a municipal asphalt plant, to be the first municipal plant of its class in Puerto Rico. The new plant will serve the center mountainous region of Puerto Rico by helping to keep the roads in optimal conditions, which is a critical factor for the continuity of business in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the local pharmaceutical industry to increase its normal production and due to its topography and deteriorated roads, the region has struggled to satisfy the demand to continue operations. Once completed, the project will have a long-term economic impact and benefit two companies, which will bolster job creation, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 75 jobs.
  • $3,326,440, matched by $3,326,440 in local investment, to the Blackfoot School District No. 55, Blackfoot/Bingham County, Idaho, to support the conversion of an existing facility into a vocational training center offering coursework in automotive repair, welding, nursing, and other in-demand occupations. The Blackfoot Technical Education Center will house the current career technical courses at Blackfoot High School as well as new courses in addition to continuing education opportunities for adults in the region. Blackfoot School District serves the northern portion of the Fort Hall Reservation and the technical education programs will help build a relationship with the Shoshone Bannock Tribe by growing the hospitality industry (the main industry on the Fort Hall Reservation) in the area. In addition, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by bolstering job creation, which will increase economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 15 jobs.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the Southeast Idaho Council of Governments, Inc., Pocatello/Bannock County, Idaho, to support the establishment of a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Oneida, Bear Lake, Franklin, Caribou, Power, Bannock and Bingham Counties in Southeastern Idaho. The RLF will support gap financing business lending to enable businesses within the region to recover from the financial impacts of the pandemic and aid in resilience against future economic disruptions. Once implemented, the project will provide permanent resources, provide access to working capital, and further the long-term economic adjustment objectives of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 125 jobs and save 200 jobs.
• $42,010,659 in 16 American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $12,239,377 in local investments, as follows:
  • Three Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $5,844,024, matched by $2,163,837 in local investments, to help communities nationwide plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through infrastructure, technical assistance, planning, and revolving loan programs designed to meet their local needs.
    • $4,000,000, matched by $1,000,000 in local investment, to the University of Alaska-Anchorage, Anchorage/Anchorage County, Alaska, to fund the Health Workforce Expansion and Diversity Project, to support the University of Alaska Anchorage with renovating approximately 10,000 square feet of instruction space to allow for certified nursing assistant labs, a diagnostic medical sonography lab, and an enhanced surgical technology procedural space in Anchorage, Alaska. The additional space will allow for the health programs to expand further and provide programs for nursing, clinical health programs, and behavioral health programs. The project will provide telework options, telehealth training, and implement needed measures to ensure the space is flexible to the overall needs of the College of Health. Once completed, the project will help future graduates from this program enter high-paying stable jobs in the Alaskan health care system and respond to the needs illustrated by the COVID pandemic, which will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 553 jobs and leverage $155,200,000 in private investment.
    • $1,054,300, matched by $857,750 in local investment, to the City of Union, Union/Union County, South Carolina, to support upgrades to the sewer trunk line to help meet customer needs from Medical Sciences Drive to South Carolina Highway 215, which will catalyze and accommodate future growth along the corridor. The infrastructure improvements will provide the additional capacity necessary to serve Standard Textile Carolina, Inc. as well as the existing industries and future industrial growth in the region. Once completed, the project will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy, which will attract private investment, create jobs, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $789,724, matched by $306,087 in local investment, to the Lowcountry Local First, Charleston/Charleston County, South Carolina, to support the establishment of the Good Growth Program, an initiative to expand upon their Good Enterprises entrepreneur training and support program. The project will help expand current work geographically and linguistically to support small and minority businesses in Charleston, Berkeley, and Beaufort Counties in South Carolina. In addition, the expansion will allow broadening of the programming to provide equitable opportunity for small business development and resiliency throughout the region. Once implemented, the project will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy, which will attract private investment, create jobs, and assist the region with recovery efforts from the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Four Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $10,880,000, matched by $2,720,000 in local investments, to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
    • $6,480,000, matched by $1,620,000 in local investment, to the McDowell County Public Service District, Welch/McDowell County, West Virginia, to fund the Phase III Elkhorn Water project, to provide quality/dependable potable water and fire protection service to customers with approximately 50 businesses including bed and breakfasts and private campgrounds in Welch, West Virginia. These customers currently have no public sewage system, and the use of an on-site sewage disposal system is highly contaminated, which is unsafe for these local businesses. Once completed, the project will help the region address the significant and sudden loss of jobs caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the decline in the coal industry by enhancing job creation and retention in an area, which will advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 85 jobs, save 40 jobs, and leverage $4,000,000 in private investment.
    • $2,400,000, matched by $600,000 in local investment, to the City of Jackson, Jackson/Jackson County, Ohio, to support upgrades to its water and wastewater infrastructure, to promote recovery and resilience efforts due to the coronavirus pandemic and the downturn in the coal industry. The project includes repairing and replacing the City’s water and wastewater main trunk lines, which will provide uninterrupted water and wastewater service to the City’s employers. Once completed, the waterline replacement will help address a critical safety need as it will allow for adequate fire protection and eliminate unsafe drinking water due to galvanized lines in the area, which will help attract and retain businesses to the region, following the closure of two coal-fired plants in 2018. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs, save 300 jobs, and leverage $50,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,200,000, matched by $300,000 in local investment, to the Regional Optical Communications, Inc., Region I, and Region IV, Princeton/Mercer County, West Virginia, to support the completion of a state-wide roadmap for the provision of affordable broadband initiatives throughout West Virginia, to promote recovery and resilience efforts due to the coronavirus pandemic and the downturn in the coal industry. The project will provide administrative services and contractual work to complete the comprehensive broadband plan for the state. Once completed, the plan will create a more resilient broadband infrastructure, which will help strengthen and advance economic resiliency in an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 83 jobs, save 616 jobs, and leverage $10,400,000 in private investment.
    • $800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the West Central Indiana Economic Development District, Inc., Terre Haute/Clay County, Indiana, to capitalize a $1,000,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo Counties in Indiana. The EDA investment will alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, provide permanent resources to support economic resiliency, and further the long-term economic adjustment objectives of the region. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to capital to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 80 jobs, save 45 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
  • Nine Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Projects for $25,286,635, matched by $7,355,540 in local investments, to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $7,522,932, matched by $1,880,773 in local investment, to the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, Rochester/Monroe County, New York, to fund the final phase of the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum’s 90,000-SF expansion in Rochester, New York. The project includes the construction of the Strong Museum's new Plaza and Commons and three new exhibits: The Outdoor Play Garden, Digital Worlds: High Score, and Digital Worlds: Level Up. The Plaza and Commons will consist of improvements to the museum's front entrance outdoor space, including space for outdoor events. The exhibits will require construction work including exhibit structures, exterior heating, painting, flooring, walls, and IT cabling. The project will help addresses economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic by supporting increased tourism, economic development, job growth, and post COVID resiliency for Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. Once completed, the project will help the region serve as a one-of-a-kind destination and educational resource for a diverse audience from across the state of New York and the United States. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 127 jobs and leverage $167,100,000 in private investment.
    • $5,522,000, matched by $1,380,500 in local investment, to Wicomico County, Salisbury/Wicomico County, Maryland, to support the renovation and modernization of the County’s Civic Center to make it a more attractive tourism asset while also improving safety and accessibility features for visitors and residents in Salisbury, Maryland. The Center is one of the main tourism attractions in the region, playing host to many regional and national events, and tourism is historically an economic driver for the Lower Shore in Maryland, boosting regional economic activity and providing overall economic resilience. The project will help strengthen tourism recovery from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the area, which will help restore and retain existing jobs to build resiliency to withstand future economic disruptions. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 70 jobs, save 150 jobs, and leverage $34,600,000 in private investment.
    • $4,812,600, matched by $1,357,400 in local investment, to the City of Pawtucket, Pawtucket/Providence County, Rhode Island, to support the construction of the Blackstone River Bikeway connecting Pawtucket and National Park Services Slater Mill Historic Park and the existing Blackstone Bikeway path in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The project will also connect to a new Tidewater Landing mixed-use brownfields redevelopment anchored with an 11,000-seat United Soccer League soccer stadium and the Armory Arts District and other recreational resources in the city. The project will help addresses economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic by increasing economic opportunity and creating jobs in the travel, leisure, and hospitality sectors. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 538 jobs and leverage $284,100,000 in private investment.
    • $2,894,500, matched by $1,240,500 in local investment, to the Town of Adams, Adams/Berkshire County, Massachusetts, to support water infrastructure improvements to develop the Greylock Glen Resort in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The town has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the development of this facility will significantly expand tourism and outdoor recreational opportunities in the area. The county relies on arts, entertainment, and recreation, as well as accommodation and food services to support a strong economy in its region. The project will help drive business back to the hospitality and tourism community, to enhance economic impact and reestablish tourism as the number one economic driver in the county. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 476 jobs and leverage $42,000,000 in private investment.
    • $2,155,616, matched by $700,000 in local investment, to the International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals and the Columbus Zoological Park Association, Cumberland/Guernsey County, Ohio, to support the International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals (The Wilds) in Ohio, with building a 60-acre recreational vehicle (RV) campground at the wildlife conservation center to help attract tourists to 10,000-acre park, which is located on reclaimed coal mine land along the Appalachian Byway. Throughout its history, the Guernsey County region relied on coal mining, and The Wilds facility was built on recovered coal mine land. The ongoing decline of the coal industry, together with sudden job losses and business closures, devastated the region’s economy in recent years. The RV campground will help the region recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and will drive economic activity, diversification, and resilience in the region’s growing tourism economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 25 jobs, and leverage $500,000 in private investment.
    • $1,000,000, matched by $250,000 in local investment, to Somerset County, Princess Anne/Somerset County, Maryland, to support the restoration and resurfacing of Smith Island County roads in the Chesapeake Bay, to improve tourism to the island. The project will reconstruct major tourist roads leading to significant tourism sites in the island to help address the economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic. Smith Island has experienced significant erosion as a result of rising water levels and declining revenues exaggerated by the pandemic. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 10 jobs, save 6 jobs, and leverage $100,000 in private investment.
    • $523,822, matched by $331,558 in local investment, to the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Norwalk/Fairfield County, Connecticut, to fund the Maritime Academy at Norwalk’s Salt Marshes of Long Island Sound project, to promote long-term recovery by creating a breathtaking new, state-of-the-art exhibit that would be centered on Long Island Sound, and as a signature exhibit with many new features such as the multi-media digital display and the touch tanks. The project will help promote the Maritime Aquarium, which is an economic hub for tourism and small businesses, and an economic driver for Norwalk and the region. Once completed, the project will help the region respond to damage to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors from the coronavirus pandemic and boost the economic resilience of areas dependent on those industries.
    • $483,487, matched by $121,929 in local investment, to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Jefferson City/Cole County, Missouri, to support the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with addressing the local and regional need for innovative and inclusive cultural heritage tourism throughout the state by developing 360° virtual tours of 27 historic sites, complete with accompanying narratives, artifact description, and audio/visual supplements. The creation of these virtual tours will allow people with disabilities, people with underlying health concerns, people unable to travel, and people from across the country and world to be virtual tourists learning about Missouri’s culture and heritage. The project will help drive business back to the hospitality and tourism community, to enhance economic impact and reestablish tourism as the number one economic driver in the state. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $371,678, matched by $92,920 in local investment, to the National Ability Center, Park City/Summit County, Utah, to support the National Ability Center (NAC) with addressing the local and regional need for outdoor recreation programs and equipment for people with disabilities in Park City, Utah. By increasing the number of programs and activities offered, hiring additional staff and instructors, and increasing equipment, NAC will be able to offer over 2,000 additional lessons throughout the year, which will increase equitable access to outdoor recreation and tourism activities in the region. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 14 jobs.
• $165,722 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, matched by $49,791 in local investments, as follows:
  • $165,722, matched by $49,791 in local investment, to the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, Santa Rosa/Sonoma County, California, to support the conduct of a feasibility study for a California Indian Traditional Food Incubator located in unincorporated Sonoma County, a region which has experienced significant job losses, as well as decreased incomes and tax revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will leverage Sonoma County's agriculture and food cluster by increasing the number and success of Native Traditional Food Producers in the region, as well as supporting job and new business development to aid economic recovery from the pandemic and several FEMA declared wildfires. Once completed, the study will help provide a roadmap to attract private investment and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
• $6,388,000 in two Public Works projects, matched by $2,507,000 in local investments, as follows:
  • $4,204,000, matched by $1,051,000 in local investment, to Hampton County and the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance, Hampton/Hampton County, South Carolina, to fund roadway improvements to support the location of a new industry in Hampton County, South Carolina. The roadway improvements will help provide service to a company that will grow and package tomatoes and leafy greens and have an on-site distribution center. The project will assist the company with expanding their operation, which involves growing vegetables in controlled climates to allow for year-round growing seasons. Once completed, the project will help build the foundation for future growth, which will bolster job creation, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 100 jobs and leverage $46,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,184,000, matched by $1,456,000 in local investment, to the Brunswick County Industrial Development Authority, Lawrenceville/Brunswick County, Virginia, to support the construction of an approximately 47,000 SF building with parking and site work, to function as a large-scale produce processing and distribution facility. The facility will allow numerous local farmers to scale up their farm production to meet market demand in Brunswick County, Virginia. Once completed, the project will attract private investment, bolster job creation, stimulate economic resilience and long-term recovery, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs, save 143 jobs, and leverage $3,800,000 in private investment.
• $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project, matched by $210,000 in local investment, to the Southwestern Michigan Commission, Benton Harbor/Berrien County, Michigan, 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.