Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $4.4 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Broadband Expansion and Increase Shipbuilding Capacity in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $4.4 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to help the state of Wisconsin prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“President Biden is committed to empowering communities to build back stronger after the economic disruptions of the pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “These EDA investments will identify gaps in critical broadband service in northeast Wisconsin and ensure the shipbuilding industry remains strong in Marinette – both critical to the success of the regional economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration supports community-led projects that mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These EDA investments will grow businesses and create jobs by putting northeast Wisconsin on a path to ensuring broadband access for everyone and bolstering shipbuilding businesses in Marinette, Wisconsin.”

“As we continue to focus on our state's economic recovery, these critical EDA investments will help ensure our families, communities, and industries in northeast Wisconsin are in the best position to bounce back from the pandemic and better,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We appreciate President Biden and our federal partners for continuing to keep Wisconsin a top priority.”

“These investments in Wisconsin show that President Biden and Commerce Secretary Raimondo know what we need, and are committed to helping our state build back better and stronger,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “This federal funding from the Biden Administration will support our efforts to rebuild our infrastructure and move our Made in Wisconsin economy forward with job creation and economic development.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• The city of Marinette, Wisconsin, will receive a $3.9 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant for road and utility upgrades adjacent to a shipbuilding business, and to develop additional nearby city-owned industrial property for new and expanding businesses. The project, to be matched with $973,800 in local funds, is expected to create 420 jobs retain 1,760 jobs and attract about $24 million in private investment.
• New North Inc., Green Bay, Wisconsin, will receive a $500,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to conduct a broadband gap analysis for the 18-county New North region in northeast Wisconsin. The project will be matched with $125,000 in local funds.

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 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.