U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.4 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Water System Improvements in Lone Grove, Oklahoma

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.4 million grant to the city of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, to make water system infrastructure improvements needed to serve local business interests. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This grant will support improvements to the Lone Grove municipal water system to provide the capacity that local business need to expand and grow, as well as to attract new businesses to the region. The EDA investment will be matched with $687,182 in local funds and is expected to create 137 jobs and generate $6.5 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“President Biden’s American Rescue Plan offers direct relief to American communities as they work to build a better America,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will provide an improved water delivery system in Lone Grove to support business expansion and the establishment of new enterprises.”

“The Economic Development Administration is dedicated to working with communities to support their locally-driven strategies to recover and rebuild from the pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project is essential to job growth and economic diversity in the region.”

“I am committed to the growth and development of rural Oklahoma and am glad to see this investment in an adequate water delivery system for Lone Grove,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “Not only will this investment impact the community’s economy and job growth, but it will benefit quality of life through access to critical resources.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Southern Oklahoma Development Authority (SODA). EDA funds SODA to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.