Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $800,000 in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Recovery of Tourism in Portland, Oregon

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $800,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Metro Regional Government, Portland, Oregon, to support the recovery of the region’s tourist economy. This EDA grant, to be matched with $200,000 in local investment, is expected to create 492 jobs and retain 472 jobs.

“President Biden is committed to supporting our nation’s tourism economy as it not only recovers from the pandemic but builds back better,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment will provide technical assistance to clients and exhibitors of the Oregon Convention Center to help them modify their existing plans and allow the continuation of in-person events that are compliant with public health guidelines.”

“The economic wallop from this public health crisis has landed hard on tourism that the metro area counts on to generate jobs and spur economic activity in Oregon’s largest city and beyond,” said Senator Ron Wyden. “I was proud to support the CARES Act because it recognized the importance of keeping Oregonians employed with resources like this grant to Metro so the Oregon Convention Center can continue attracting visitors to my hometown and the entire region.”

“For Oregon to build back better, we must work to revitalize the industries that have proven vital to job creation and stability in our state,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “I am pleased that the metro area’s tourism industry will receive a boost to their recovery efforts, and preserve and create hundreds of quality jobs for Oregonians in the region. We must continue to rebuild our economy from the damage of this pandemic, and I will continue fighting in the U.S. Senate to ensure critical resources are allocated to help the people and industries who need them most.”

“Our small businesses – and the families across Oregon who depend on them—rely in part on tourism,” said Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03). “It is vital to the strength of our communities that they get the help they need to safely welcome visitors and continue down their road to economic recovery. I’m glad to have worked to pass the CARES Act that made this investment possible, and am continuing to look for opportunities to support Oregon businesses.”

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.

EDA is focused on continuing this work to accelerate the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. $750 million of EDA’s American Rescue Plan funds are allocated to support the following efforts:

• State Tourism Grants: $510 million in non-competitive awards to help states quickly invest in marketing, infrastructure, workforce, and other projects to rejuvenate safe leisure, business, and international travel.
• Competitive Grants: $240 million to help communities that have been hardest hit by challenges facing the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors to invest in infrastructure, workforce or other projects to support the recovery of the industry and economic resilience of the community in the future.

For more information, please visit EDA’s American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation webpage.

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.