Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $19.3 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Coronavirus Pandemic Response and Resiliency Efforts in Texas

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $19.3 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to help the state of Texas prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“EDA is committed to helping communities across the nation implement strategies to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These EDA investments will accelerate business growth and workforce diversification in Texas communities through investments in critical infrastructure as well as directly support regional efforts to test, treat, and vaccinate against coronavirus.”

“The CARES Act has been a lifeline across Texas and I am happy to see additional investments being made into the program, especially in our district and Eagle Pass,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23). “As we focus on reopening our country and rebuilding our economy, it’s imperative we do everything we can to support our local small businesses and the funds awarded today will help augment these efforts.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Lamar State College Port Arthur, Port Arthur, Texas, will receive a $4.3 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to support workforce development and diversification through the design and construction of a commercial driver education and examination center. The project, to be matched with $619,000 in local investment, is expected to create 1,800 jobs and generate more than $71 million in private investment.
• Milam County, Texas, will receive a $3.77 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to revitalize the vacant hospital complex in downtown Cameron, Texas, for commercial use and as an additional COVID-19 testing and medical care site. The project, to be matched with $943,182 in local investment, is expected to create 55 jobs, retain 39 jobs, and generate $4.6 million in private investment.
• The city of Eagle Pass, Texas, will receive a $3.5 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to support small business growth by renovating a downtown, city-owned building for use as a small business incubator and retail center. The facility will support and attract a variety of industries, including retail, technology, real estate, and innovative energy solutions. The project, to be matched with $875,000 in local funds, is expected to create 35 jobs and generate $200,000 in private investment.
• The town of Fairview, Texas, will receive a $3 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to construct a new four-lane divided roadway that will create a primary access to Medical Center Drive in support of a hospital expansion and a mixed-use private development. The project will aid Fairview’s long-term recovery by diversifying the regional economy and provide new employment opportunities for dislocated workers. The project, to be matched with $1 million in local investment, is expected to create 300 jobs and generate $117 million in private investment.
• The city of Kilgore, Texas, will receive a $2.5 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to construct two additional floors of new space on the northwest side of the Roy H. Laird Memorial Hospital for use as a health sciences education center. The Roy H. Laird Regional Medical Health Sciences Education Center will train workers for jobs in nursing and health sciences fields in a state-of-the-art facility. The project, to be matched with $6.8 million in local investment, is expected to create 840 jobs and generate $9 million in private investment.
• The city of Pflugerville, Texas, will receive a $2.3 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to make critical roadway infrastructure improvements along the Pecan Street-Dessau Road Corridors to support business growth, including at the One Thirty Business Park. The EDA grant will be matched with $575,000 in local funds and is expected to create 1,000 jobs and generate $250 million in private investment.

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

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 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.