Grant

September 6 - 10, 2021

EDA announced 15 investments from September 6-10, 2021, totaling $10,325,793, which is matched by $4,864,719 in local investments.  These investments include the following: (1) $8,324,982 in six Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes four projects for $6,411,232 that will help create 1,215 jobs, save 1,291, jobs, and leverage $51,500,000 in private investment; (2) $1,146,811 in three 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; (3) $50,000 in one Local Technical Assistance project to strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective economic development programs; (4) $143,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (5) $661,000 in four Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

  • $8,324,982 in six Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $2,885,275 in local investments, as follows:
    • $3,525,075, matched by $1,556,025 in local investment, to the City of Bloomington/ Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, Bloomington/Monroe County, Indiana, to support the construction of a new Trades District Technology Center, a second-stage commercialization support facility for emerging tech-based businesses in Monroe County, Indiana.  Located within an Opportunity Zone, the Center will be a critical pillar of the City’s Bloomington Certified Technology Park and its Trades District.  The Center will be a physical office space and commercialization service hub for second stage and start-up technology firms to connect with regional entrepreneurial resources, such as the University of Indiana and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, bring new products to market, and create new high-quality jobs and private investment in the Bloomington region.  Once completed, the new facility will help the region recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by diversifying the region's economy, which will bolster job creation, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 530 jobs and leverage $51,500,000 in private investment.
    • $1,300,000, with no local match, to the Guam Economic Development Authority, Tamuning (Project: Agana Heights), Guam, to support the construction and renovation of buildings for use as production and distribution facilities in Agana Heights, Guam, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The project consists of improving three locations of the Green Markets to help business operations function more efficiently and assist with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Once completed, the project will support small business enterprises in the agricultural industries, create employment opportunities, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $1,000,000, matched by $52,500 in local investment, to the Kisatchie Delta Regional Planning and Development District, Alexandria/Rapides County, Louisiana, to support the purchase, design, and renovation of an existing building for use as a new Resiliency Center for the Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District in Alexandria, Louisiana, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The new Resiliency Center will offer multi purposes including strategic meeting, training, and staging point that will serve as a gathering point and access location.  In addition, the project will provide assistance and resources that improves individual and collective capacity of disaster support partners and organizations, allowing the delivery of comprehensive tools for response, while improving the use of public assets as a catalyst for small business retention.  Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, retain jobs, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 891 jobs.
    • $986,157, matched by $246,539 in local investment, to Larimer County, Fort Collins/Larimer County, Colorado, to support Larimer County with addressing the local and regional unemployment and underemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Larimer County, Colorado.  The project will develop and implement a regional workforce strategy based on sector partnership to help employers develop and retain talent; align education and workforce resources with industry needs and local talent pool; and address structural issues that prevent a secure talent pipeline.  Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 495 jobs.
    • $900,000, matched by $416,461 in local investment, to the Regents of the University of California at Riverside, Riverside/Riverside County, California, to support the Regents of the University of California at Riverside with providing individualize technical assistance to COVID-19-impacted Inland Empire small businesses, especially minority-owned, to help them both to recover from the pandemic and build resilience for future economic challenges in Riverside County, California.  The project will assist small businesses with strategies, programs, and resources to build resilience and diversifying their product and service portfolio by leveraging technology and specialized services in the face of certain shock waves from persistent economic and societal disruptions.  Once completed, the project will create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 190 jobs and save 400 jobs.
    • $613,750, matched by $613,750 in local investment, to the Missouri Association of Council of Governments/Missouri Department of Economic Development, Jefferson City/Cole County, Missouri, to support the State of Missouri and its regional councils of governments as they seek to promote economic resilience and equity in the state's regions through the development of broadband modeling and engineering feasibility plans for eight regional clusters and the provision of broadband planning technical assistance to all regions of the state.  The plans and studies developed through this project will position the state and its regional planning commissions to have the best possible data and tools to support their efforts to assist with regional recovery from and resilience to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  Once completed, the plan will create a more resilient broadband infrastructure, which will help strengthen and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $1,146,811 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $1,540,194 in local investments, as follows:
    • $750,000, matched by $1,133,383 in local investment, to the City of Brownsville, Brownsville/Cameron County, Texas, to support the renovation of an existing 8,300 square foot Gutierrez warehouse into, the Cannery Public Market, a multi-purpose community building located in the Mitte Cultural District in Cameron County, Texas, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The Cannery Public Market will increase access to healthy food through the existing Brownsville Farmers Market, provide health education initiatives for the area, and provide a space for entrepreneurial opportunities through the establishment of a community kitchen.  Once completed, the project will help the region create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $376,811, matched by $376,811 in local investment, to the Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, Honolulu/Honolulu County, Hawaii, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the Pacific region of the Hawaiian Islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, to promote global competitiveness through innovation to meet the needs in the islands and encourage regional partnerships, collaboration, and communication.  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.
    • $70,000, matched by $30,000 in local investment, to the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation, Pottsville/Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to support the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation with determining the feasibility of expanding water capacity to attract development and commerce to Schuylkill County, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The study will determine the potential to extend water service from Schuylkill County Municipal Authority’s (SCMA) Tremont System in Newtown, Reilly Township, PA to the I-81/SR 25 interchange.  The extended service will allow the creation of a new industrial park and increase capacity for existing manufacturing to expand production.  Once completed, the project will address the region’s needs and provide additional space and infrastructure for new and existing businesses to grow, which will create additional jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen the regional economy.
  • $50,000 in one Local Technical Assistance project, matched by $65,000 in local investment, as follows:
    • $50,000, matched by $65,000 in local investment, to the City of Hillard, Hillard/Franklin County, Ohio, to investment support the establishment of the Hilliard Recovery and Economic Development Study to analyze the City's economy, development sites, tax base, workforce, corporate sustainability, industry sector opportunities, current and needed economic development tools and resources, and provide recommendations for the recovery from the loss of multiple major community employers and the decline in office space demand.  Once completed, the study will provide a plan for future implementation to generate more economic opportunities for the region and diversify the local economy.
  • $143,000 in one Technical Assistance University Center project, matched by $143,000 in local investment, to support 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.
  • $661,000 in four Partnership Planning projects, matched by $231,250 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.