Grant

November 2 - 6, 2020

EDA announced nine investments from November 2-6, 2020, totaling $8,357,500, which is matched by $2,893,694 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $2,457,500 in seven Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic; and (2) $5,900,000 in two 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 that will help create 50 jobs, save 166 jobs; and leverage $135,600,000 in private investments.
- $2,457,500 in seven Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID- 19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $568,552 in local investments, as follows:
  - $650,000, matched by $192,000 in local investment, to the Community Venture Foundation, Fayetteville/Washington County, Arkansas to support the Community Venture Foundation (DBA Startup Junkie) with providing technical assistance to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in northwest Arkansas. The Startup Junkie’s work will provide critical one-on-one consulting services to entrepreneurs and connect them with experts, and their programming will help to ensure that the region's robust culture of entrepreneurship will remain competitive. Once completed, the project allows the Startup Junkie to expand its service areas to include designated Opportunity Zones and assist businesses with becoming more resilient to future disasters, which will help facilitate the creation of new jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy.
  - $600,000, matched by $150,000 in local investment, to the City of Gallup, Gallup/ McKinley County, New Mexico, to support the City of Gallup with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by advancing transportation, logistics and autonomous vehicle industries in McKinley County, New Mexico. The project will support a master planning process for the municipal airport and autonomous vehicle industries in efforts to resume commercial air travel, which will allow the transport of healthcare professionals and patients in need of critical care. Once completed, the project will diversify the regional economy by offering commercial air services, creating employment opportunities, helping businesses expand operations, and advancing economic resiliency throughout the region.
  - $500,000, matched by $126,552 in local investment, to Grant County, Silver City/Grant County, New Mexico, to support Grant County with establishing the Community Workforce Alliance, a non-profit organization in Grant County, New Mexico. The new organization will offer and coordinate economic development activities, workforce development, and business retention and expansion activities throughout the county. In addition, the project will support partnerships with the Silver City Chamber of Commerce and Western New Mexico University to provide technical assistance to businesses focused on resiliency and business growth. Once completed, the project will aid in recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, advance the manufacturing industry, and build economic resiliency throughout the region.
  - $290,000, with no local match, to the Texas Association of Regional Councils, Austin/Travis County, Texas, to support the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) with assisting the state’s designated Economic Development Districts (EDDs) and their communities in recovery efforts to ensure resiliency in the wake of the economic damage caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The project will allow TARC to offer technical assistance to help foster collaboration across the state and facilitate communication with local and state officials and organizations, which will help diversify the local economy, support business development, and promote economic resiliency throughout the region
  - $160,000, matched by $40,000 in local investment, to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Dayton/Montgomery County, Ohio, to support the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission with updating its current comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for its 14-County region, which comprises the counties of Montgomery, Miami, Greene, Warren, Clark, Darke, Clinton, Fayette, Shelby, Mercer, Champaign, Auglaize, Preble, and Butler in Ohio, including nearby Opportunity Zones. The CEDS will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying key economic drivers and developing a plan of action to capitalize on economic opportunities. Once implemented, the CEDS will provide the region with a roadmap to achieve long-term prosperity and growth by building resiliency to withstand economic disruptions, which will help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
  - $137,500, with no local match, to the City of Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg/Mendocino County, California, to support the City of Fort Bragg with conducting a feasibility study to determine the best reuse for the former Georgia Pacific Mill Site in Mendocino County, California. The study will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying assets, cultivating collaborations, and developing next steps to attract private investments, which will help diversify the local economy, support business development, and promote economic resiliency throughout the region.
  - $120,000, matched by $60,000 in local investment, to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, Indianapolis/Marion County, Indiana, to support the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization with developing a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) to spur economic development in the counties of Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, and Morgan in Indianapolis. The CEDS will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying key economic drivers and developing a plan of action to capitalize on economic opportunities. Once implemented, the CEDS will provide the region with a roadmap to achieve long-term prosperity and growth by building resiliency to withstand economic disruptions, which will help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
- $5,900,000 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $2,325,142 in local investments, as follows:
  - $4,000,000 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $1,000, 000 in local investment, to the Wabash County and the Heartland Career Center, Wabash/Wabash County, Indiana, to support Wabash County and the Heartland Career Center with expanding their educational footprint and becoming the first adult training facility in Wabash County, Indiana, located near a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the 2018 floods by constructing a facility and purchasing equipment to facilitate certification programs in the manufacturing and healthcare industries. Once completed, the project will help bolster job creation, support economic diversification, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 30 jobs, save 116 jobs, and leverage $600,000 in private investment.
  - $1,900,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $1,325,142 in local investment, to the Grandview Doolin Public Service District, Proctor/Marshall County, West Virginia, to fund the construction of a potable water service infrastructure to serve industrial customers in Marshall County, West Virginia, a designated Opportunity Zone. The project will construct a PVC water transmission line from the Grandview-Doolin Public Service District water treatment plant, which will extend to the Westlake Chemical plant, and tie into the industry’s existing distribution system. Once completed, the project will open-up an additional 200 acres for industrial development, help support job retention, create new opportunities, 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 20 jobs, save 50 jobs, and leverage $135,000,000 in private investment.