U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.3 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds for Roadway Expansion to Support Business Growth in Eagle Pass, Texas

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.3 million grant to the city of Eagle Pass, Texas, to expand Patsy Winn Boulevard and support development of an industrial park. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.

This grant will create new opportunities for manufacturing business growth in Southwestern Texas, a region impacted by the declining use of coal. The EDA investment will be matched with $3.4 million in local funds and is expected to create 215 jobs and generate $5.4 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to providing communities with the support needed to grow and expand their regional economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will build the foundation for new businesses to establish in Eagle Pass, creating a robust, diverse regional economy.”

“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 announced today will create the necessary infrastructure to bring new businesses and good-paying jobs to Eagle Pass and the surrounding region.”

“The Economic Development Administration’s grant to Eagle Pass will help the city make critical infrastructure improvements, create jobs, and boost the region’s growing economy,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “The critical roadway expansion and the development of an industrial park will help attract new businesses to the area and create more opportunities for hardworking Texans in the community.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Middle Rio Grande Development Council (MRGDC). EDA funds MRGDC 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.

EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities.

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.