October 11 - 15, 2021

EDA announced four investments from October 11-15, 2021, totaling $7,230,774, which is matched by $2,707,698 in local investments.  These investments include the following: (1) $6,108,811 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes two projects for $3,200,000 that will help create 238 jobs and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment; and (2) $1,121,963 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 that will help create 210 jobs.

• $6,108,811 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $2,427,203 in local investments, as follows:
  • $2,908,811, matched by $727,203 in local investment, to the City of Farmersville, Farmersville/Collin County, Texas, to support the City of Farmersville with building a new fiber optic broadband infrastructure to help the city respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and become more resilient to future disasters in Collin County, Texas.  The project is designed to lend massive improvements in regional broadband speed while simultaneously improving the reliability and ease of access related to the delivery of broadband thereby hardening Farmersville to the adverse effects of economic disruption from future disasters.  Once completed, the project will create and save jobs, attract and retain businesses, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the City of Wynne, Wynne/Woodruff County (Project Wynne/Cross County), Arkansas, to support the construction of a new industrial rail spur facility in Wynne, Arkansas to support the manufacturing industries in the area.  The project will allow for a better transportation system that is designed to benefit multiple local manufactures in the surrounding vicinity by constructing an area for all inbound materials and an area for a cross dock facility.  Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, provide alternative means of transportation for manufactured and processed goods at various locations, bolster job creation, and increase economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs.
  • $1,200,000, matched by $1,200,000 in local investment, to the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, Lubbock/Lubbock County, Texas, to support the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance with enhancing its rail port by adding concrete pavement, sewer lines and connection to manholes, hydrants and service connections, and drainage channel excavation in Lubbock County, Texas, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing critical infrastructure to ensure businesses success.  Once completed, the project will encourage job creation, advance the manufacturing industry, increase private investment, and create economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 38 jobs and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.
• $1,121,963 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, matched by $280,495 in local investment, as follows:
  • $1,121,963 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $280,495 in local investment, to Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction/Mesa County, Colorado, to provide medical and therapeutic equipment, mobile simulation technology, and funding for personnel and programming to Colorado Mesa University (CMU) for a workforce development project in communities in western Colorado.  The project will equip CMU's Physician's Assistant, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy degree programs to support academic programming, professional and workforce development activities, and outreach to displaced coal workers and their families.  Once completed, the project will help increase workforce development in healthcare fields, not only through ensuring availability of equipment for specialized training, but also by implementing recruitment strategies that provide exposure and a pathway to health care careers in the University's rural, frontier, and underserved service region.  In addition, the project will help create new job opportunities in area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 210 jobs.