Grant

September 1 - 7, 2023

EDA announced 17 investments from September 1-7, 2023, totaling $6,476,465, which is matched by $3,521,556 in local investments.  These investments include the following: (1) $4,660,685 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 two projects for $3,641,985 that will help create 95 jobs, save 24 jobs, and leverage $5,700,000 in private investments; (2) $1,052,530 in five Local Technical Assistance projects to strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective economic development programs; (3) $106,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (4) $657,250 in five Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process .

  • $4,660,685 in six Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $2,467,406 in local investments, as follows:
    • $2,000,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $1,735,910 in local investment, to Converse County/Eastern Wyoming College, Douglas/Converse County, Wyoming, to support Converse County with the construction of a new building addition to the existing Workforce Training Lab at the Eastern Wyoming College Campus in Douglas, Wyoming.  The building will consist of a Wood Technology Lab, classrooms, storage space, offices, restrooms, and mechanical rooms.  In addition, the building will include all necessary mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire systems.  The project work also involves sitework to the exterior of the proposed building and interior improvements to connect to the existing building.  Once completed, the project will help save jobs and create new job opportunities to boost economic development in an area that has been severely impacted by the decline in the coal industry.  The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 22 jobs, save 24 jobs, and leverage $200,000 in private investment.
    • $1,641,985 in 2023 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $410,496 in local investment, to York Technical College, Rock Hill/York County, South Carolina, to support the purchase of equipment to upgrade and expand the training capacity for the Industrial Technology Department at York Technical College (York Tech) in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  The project work includes equipment upgrades that will allow York Tech to offer training to assist future businesses with hiring qualified workers in the region.  Once completed, the project will help strengthen the local economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 73 jobs and leverage $5,500,000 in private investment.
    • $494,700 in 2023 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $190,000 in local investment, to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky/Appalachian Investors Alliance/Shaping our Appalachian Region, Inc., Hazard/Perry County, Kentucky, to support the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky with providing technical assistance necessary to form and implement a professional, member-managed angel fund that supports an emerging Southeast Kentucky entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Additionally, the project will leverage knowledge and experience from regionally based, accredited investors, subject matter experts, and deal sharing networks to provide not only financial but intellectual capital to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Once completed, the project will directly increase leadership and community capacity for entrepreneurship, support the growth and sustainability of a blended economy of small businesses and tech growth startups, and improve the number and quality of local fundable ventures, which will expand and diversify the region’s economic base and promote economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $300,000, matched by $75,000 in local investment, to the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, Bronx (Borough of NY) Bronx, New York, to support the development of an economic recovery plan for the Bronx 149th Street Commercial Corridor, called the Bronx HUB.  The plan will outline practical economic recovery strategies to better understand the most effective and efficient way to fully redevelop the 149th street commercial corridor in Bronx, New York.  Once completed, the plan will provide resources to generate an environment that can serve as a catalyst for unprecedented regional economic growth.
    • $128,000 in 2023 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $32,000 in local investment, to the Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority, Conway/Horry County, South Carolina, to support the conduct of a feasibility study to determine the highest and best uses of the forty-seven-acre park in Conway.  The results of the feasibility study will help determine future use and recruit appropriate marine trade and companies to the site, to assist the region with recovering from the storms, flooding, and hurricanes that caused widespread property damage and business disruptions.  Once completed, the study will result in new investments, jobs, economic growth, and an increase of economic diversity and resiliency throughout the region.
    • $96,000 in 2023 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $24,000 in local investment, to the City of Madisonville, Madisonville/Hopkins County, New York, to support the development of a marketing and rebranding campaign to help revitalize the community by identifying strengths, assets, advantages, and opportunities in Hopkins County. The project work includes community engagement, assessments, planning, and marketing strategies.  Once completed, the project will help create a highly skilled workforce, enhance economic resiliency, and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $1,052,530 in five Local Technical Assistance projects, matched by $594,007 in local investments, as follows:
    • $495,630, matched by $123,907 in local investment, to the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, Washington, District of Columbia, to support the establishment of the Economic Development District (EDD) Capacity Building Initiative, which will continue to serve the 57 EDA-designated and/or funded EDDs located within the five state EDA Austin region footprint (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) through a comprehensive training program for EDD emerging leaders and an annual training conference designed for EDDs.  The goal of the Initiative is to build strong, sustainable, and impactful EDDs and to provide pathways for EDDs to develop relationships with others engaged in economic development, public and private in their regions.  A primary focus of the Initiative is to convene EDDs with University Centers and other academic institutions, Tribal economic development departments and planning grantees, key economic development players from the non-profit sector, local and regional businesses, and other economic development organizations (EDOs) to offer opportunities to learn about each other's work and investigate ways to collaborate on projects that will have positive impacts on the local and regional economies.
    • $300,000, matched by $300,000 in local investment, to the City of Hillsboro, Hillsboro/ Washington County, Oregon, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive Master Plan document that will provide updated location, sizing, cost, and financing for infrastructure, utilities, and public service improvements for the Hillsboro Technology Park Site in Washington County, Oregon.  Once completed, the project will help to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
    • $180,000, matched by $120,000 in local investment, to the Town of Hertford, Hertford/Perquimans County, North Carolina, to provide resources to support community input and design and technical construction plans for the Town of Hertford’s Riverfront Plan.  The plan will consist of study and assessment of town risk reports to inform design for more resilient infrastructure, convening of regional stakeholders to inform the public on key factors to support community and business development, and development of detailed design and construction drawings.  Once implemented, the plan will help enhance future economic sustainability, strengthen the regional economy, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $46,900, matched by $20,100 in local investment, to the Missouri Association of Councils of Government (MACOG), Jefferson/Cole County, Missouri, to support MACOG with providing detailed training to each of Missouri’s Economic Development District (EDD) Executive Directors so that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to bring full value to their districts.  Missouri’s EDD network has experienced a high amount of turnover in EDD Executive Directors during the past five years, and this training project will help alleviate knowledge gaps for newer hires as well as refresh EDD management knowledge and information on EDA programs for longer serving Executive Directors.  Once completed, this project will provide critical long-term sustainability to EDDs across the State of Missouri with an updated state-specific EDD Executive Director Guide, which will help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
    • $30,000, matched by $30,000 in local investment, to the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, Basalt/Pitkin County, Colorado, to support the Community Office for Resource Efficiency with conducting the Green Workforce study to inform workforce development efforts in Colorado's Roaring Fork and Eagle Valleys.  The Aspen Community Office for Resource Efficiency will lead the development and implementation of comprehensive analysis resulting from the study to prepare under-employed and under-served local residents to become high-skilled technicians in the green energy economy, providing a pathway to quality jobs.  Once completed, the project will help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $106,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project, matched by $177,143 in local investment, to the University of Wisconsin System, Platteville/Grant County, Wisconsin, to support the third year of a five-year University Center program, which is a competitively based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community.  The program provides technical assistance and research and development tools to increase productivity, spur innovation, and promote entrepreneurship to help increase long-term regional competitiveness and economic diversification.
  • $657,250 in five Partnership Planning projects, matched by $283,000 in local investments, 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.
    • Southeastern CT Enterprise RC, Groton/New London County, CT ($210,000/$210,000)
    • Superior CA EDD, Inc., Redding/Shasta County, CA ($18,750/$0)
    • Kawerak, Inc., Nome/Nome, AK ($17,500/$0)
    • City of Plainview, Plainview/Hale County, TX ($111,000/$73,000)
    • Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, Elko/Elko County, NV ($300,000/$0)