Grant

May 24 - 28, 2021

EDA announced 22 investments from May 24-28, 2021, totaling $42,846,199, which is matched by $13,930,068 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $22,376,051 in 12 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes nine projects for $20,376,051 that will help create 6,728 jobs, save 5,559 jobs, and leverage $245,550,000 in private investments; (2) $20,317,648 in six 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 three projects for $18,494,210 that will help create 32,813 jobs, save four jobs, and leverage $87,800,000 in private investments; and (3) $152,500 in four Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

  • $22,376,051 in 12 Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $8,515,654 in local investments, as follows:
    • $3,895,200, matched by $973,800 in local investment, to the City of Marinette, Marinette/Marinette County, Wisconsin, to support the City of Marinette with reconstructing a central street system near the City's shipyard and developing additional nearby city-owned industrial property for new and expanding businesses in Marinette County, Wisconsin. The project will establish a cutting-edge approach to meet the expected surge in the region’s workforce and freight traffic by building a temporary infrastructure and testing support systems to ensure smooth operations at the shipyard. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, create and retain jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 420 jobs, save 1,760 jobs, and leverage $24,000,000 in private investment.
    • $3,033,418, matched by $3,033,418 in local investment, to John Wood Community College, Quincy/Adams County, Illinois, to support John Wood Community College with constructing a Workforce Development Center on its campus in Quincy, Illinois. The project will establish new Automation and Robotics and Automotive Diesel Technology training programs, create a new Truck Driver Training area, and expand other existing training programs. Once completed, the project will provide relevant skills in the most in-demand fields to the area's workforce, which will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVD-19 pandemic, create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 918 jobs, save 432 jobs, and leverage $124,600,000 in private investment.
    • $3,000,000, matched by $750,000 in local investment, to On the Road Lending, Irving/Dallas County, Texas, to support On the Road Lending with the renovation of an automotive technology workforce training facility in Dallas County, Texas, to provide training opportunities to ensure that local workers are retrained with new skills to be competitive in the regional economy. These training programs focus on a field with great demand and high earning potential, involving multiple tracks of apprenticeship, helping people in the region to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and build resiliency for future crises. Once completed, the project will create a pipeline of skilled workers to benefit from growing industries needs of local employers, which will provide access to higher-wage jobs and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 275 jobs.
    • $2,778,395, matched by $775,791 in local investment, to mHUB, Chicago/Cook County, Illinois, to fund the enhancement of online and virtual service-delivery capacity for three Chicagoland's leading technology and manufacturing incubators, mHUB, Matter, and 1871 Laboratories. The partnership between the three organizations is a direct response to tech commercialization and related startup needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an increased need for online and virtual small business assistance. Once completed, the project will help advance the manufacturing industry in the area, create and save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 3,962 jobs, save 2,764 jobs, and leverage $21,300,000 in private investment.
    • $2,500,000, matched by $638,420 in local investment, to the Philander Smith College, Little Rock/Pulaski County, Arkansas, to support the Philander Smith College with renovating the M.L. Harris Fine Arts Building to develop the “HBCU Center of Excellence in Digital Education and Rural Workforce Development” in Pulaski County, Arkansas, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will be a part of Phase I of the facility, which includes 11,000 SF comprising the 500-seat auditorium. In addition, the project will allow for alternative learning platforms, train much needed medical staff in light of COVID-19 and retrain workers displaced due to the pandemic. Once completed, the project will support workforce development and technical assistance for aspiring entrepreneurs, which will assist the region with meeting the 21st century workforce needs, promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 65 jobs and leverage $400,000 in private investment.
    • $1,800,000, matched by $1,000,000 in local investment, to the City of McAllen, McAllen/ Hidalgo County, Texas, to support the City of McAllen with expanding the Quinta Mazatlán to develop the Center for Urban Ecology (CUE) in Hidalgo County, Texas, a designated Opportunity Zone. CUE will establish an educational center/teaching site offering multiple certification programs that focus on entrepreneurship, small business recovery and resilience, and workforce development. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, foster regional economic vitality and growth, bolster job creation, spur private investment, advance economic resiliency, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 700 jobs and leverage $35,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,000,000, matched by $300,000 in local investment, to the City of Cleveland, Cleveland/Bolivar County, Mississippi, to support the City of Cleveland with constructing water infrastructure to support the Baxter Healthcare's expansion in Bolivar County, Mississippi, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will install a water well to support the Baxter Healthcare’s production of critical medical supplies, which will help the region with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will support one of the largest employers within the Mississippi Delta, create jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 40 jobs and leverage $15,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,209,038, matched by $304,225 in local investment, to Ohio University, Athens/Athens County, Ohio, to support the Ohio University Innovation Center with moving research to market and diversifying the regional economy in Athens County, Ohio. The project will provide technical assistance, lab space, and equipment to add capacity to the Center and strengthen its ability to positively impact the regional economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and during future downturns. Once completed, the project will retain and create higher paying jobs, support the science and health industries, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 330 jobs, save 450 jobs, and leverage $25,000,000 in private investment.
    • $960,000, matched by $240,000 in local investment, to the Board of County Commissioners of Garrett County, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and the Department of Information and Technology, Oakland/Garrett County, Maryland, to support the Garrett County Board of Commissioners' Regional Last Mile Business Development Initiative by leveraging existing assets to close key gaps in the County’s longstanding broadband expansion effort, specifically in the southern part of Garrett County, Maryland. The project will consist of the design and installation of approximately fifteen miles of gigabit broadband fiber along Route 219, which will connect to several key sites, farms, and other rural business locations to allow for business grade broadband services. Once completed, the project will provide a robust and reliable broadband connectivity infrastructure, bolster job creation, attract private investment, increase economic resiliency, and assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 18 jobs, save 153 jobs, and leverage $250,000 in private investment.
    • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to TruFund Financial Services, Inc., Birmingham/Jefferson County, Alabama, to support TruFund Financial Services, Inc. with providing critical technical assistance and business advisory services to small businesses in Jefferson County, Alabama. The project will enhance recovery lending to address the unique resiliency and recovery challenges faced by small businesses and non-profits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once completed, the project will support business continuity and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $750,000, matched by $187,500 in local investment, to TruFund Financial Services, Inc., New York, New York (Project: Atlanta/Fulton County, Georgia), to support TruFund Financial Services, Inc. with addressing the need for vital training and resources to help provide small businesses with the access to relief funds and technical assistance in the Atlanta Metro area. The project will help businesses recover from future disasters and major economic interruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic through access to training and affordable capital. Once completed, the project will support business continuity and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $500,000, matched by $125,000 in local investment, to New North, Inc., Green Bay/Brown County, Wyoming, to support New North, Inc. with conducting a Broadband Access Study and Expansion Plan for 18 counties in the northeast region of Wisconsin. The study will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic and will consist of regional broadband data analysis, mapping, and cost modelling for each county. Once completed, the study will develop a process to identify broadband access gaps, which will help the region with attracting and retaining businesses and jobs, spurring private investment, and advancing economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $20,317,648 in six Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $5,371,914 in local investments, as follows:
    • $12,800,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $3,200,000 in local investment, to the Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads/BLUEtide Puerto Rico, Inc., San Juan/San Juan County, Puerto Rico, to fund construction of a five-story building on the former Coast Guard Pier, Naval Station Roosevelt Roads to house the Marine Business, Research and Innovation Research Center (MBRIC) in San Juan County, Puerto Rico. The MBRIC will serve as the central hub to access specialized equipment and provide technical assistance to multiple partners to support ocean dependent and ag-business in the development of new products and service for exporting. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria and promote the commercialization and research of MAR/Sea Drugs, Open Water Aquaculture, Ocean Conservancy and predictive modeling and development, which will boost job creation in the area, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create $29,353 jobs and leverage $81,000,000 in private investment.
    • $3,825,000 in Assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities, matched by $1,275,000 in local investment, to the Town of Plymouth, Plymouth/Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to support the Town of Plymouth with making critical water infrastructure improvements to an area hit hard by the closure of a nuclear power plant. The improved water capacity will allow for business continuity, which will help sustain the region following the closure and decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. Once completed, the project will create new job opportunities, attract private investment, and further economic diversification of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 3,450 jobs and leverage $5,800,000 in private investment.
    • $1,869,210 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $467,303 in local investment, to the Pike County Fiscal Court, Pikeville/Pike County, Kentucky, to support the Pike County Fiscal Court with the construction of water and sewer infrastructure improvements at the Wolf Pit Industrial Park in Pike County, Kentucky. The project will benefit a nearby Opportunity Zone and serve a local manufacturing business, which is an Appalachian-based manufacturer for several industry sectors, including biomedical. In addition, the project will strive to employ out of work miners through various programs and trainings to help strengthen the regional healthcare industry. Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, advance economic resiliency, and attract private investment to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 10 jobs, save 4 jobs, and leverage $1,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,389,438 in Assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities, matched by $349,611 in local investment, to the E4 Carolinas, Inc., Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, to support a comprehensive research and planning project to prepare and position the Southeast for advanced nuclear technology leadership. The object will position and promote the industry and its communities as a national and global leader in advanced nuclear power generation and plant life extension technologies, making the Southeast a primary economic beneficiary of these technologies’ commercialization. Once completed, the project will help 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.
    • $320,000, matched by $80,000 in local investment, to the St. Tammany Parish Development District, Mandeville/St. Tammany County, Louisiana, to fund the Northshore Regional Resiliency Collaborative Initiative to provide technical assistance programming, facilitate business continuity workshops, implement a Northshore regional workforce development and talent retention strategy, as well as create business retention and formation opportunities in Southeast Louisiana. Once completed, the project will benefit designated Opportunity Zones located within the project area, help promote private capital investment, spur economic resiliency, and create job opportunities throughout the region.
    • $114,000, with no local match, to the Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Acoma/Cibola County, New Mexico, to support the Pueblo of Acoma with 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. Once completed, the project will promote economic sustainability, expand job opportunities, and promote growth throughout the region.
  • $152,500 in four Partnership Planning projects, matched by $42,500 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.