Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests More Than $1.5 Million to Support Commercial Development in Roanoke

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON - U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams today announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding more than $1.5 million to the city of Roanoke, Virginia, to make critical roadway infrastructure improvements needed to support new commercial development. According to the grantee, the project is expected to leverage $95 million in private investment and create 154 new jobs.

“The Commerce Department is committed to improving our nation’s infrastructure to help all communities grow economically across the country,” said Assistant Secretary Williams. “This EDA grant will help spur new commercial development in the Roanoke region to put people to work.”

EDA’s investment supports the construction of Blue Hills Drive to serve a proposed brewery and the Heritage Point site in Roanoke. The project will help diversify the local economy for the city and surrounding area.

About the 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 makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.