Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.2 Million to Make Water Infrastructure Improvements to Support Baton Rouge Health District

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.2 million grant to the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to improve Pump Station 299 and increase capacity to support business development in the Baton Rouge Health District. This EDA project, to be matched with $560,000 in local funds, is expected to create 574 jobs and generate $21 million in private investment.

“President Biden is committed to strengthening access to healthcare and improving regional economies for communities across the nation,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Baton Rouge Health District contains much of the region’s medical infrastructure, and this EDA investment will provide necessary sewer water improvements to support expansion of healthcare facilities and nearby businesses, attract new businesses to the area, and create a stronger regional economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support Baton Rouge as it seeks to grow the region’s healthcare economy,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This investment will construct and relocate an existing water pump station and create new gravity collection lines, providing the medical corridor with needed infrastructure capacity to support tens of thousands of existing jobs and support the creation of hundreds of new jobs through existing and new businesses.”

“Through private investment and federal funding, the Baton Rouge region is going to be the beneficiary of new water infrastructure that will support our healthcare facilities and businesses in the area,” said Congressman Garret Graves (LA-06). “This is a big step toward fulfilling the vision of the Health District and making Baton Rouge a destination for healthcare innovation, education, research, and – most importantly – results.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC), which EDA funds to help 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.

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.