Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.6 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Local Food Manufacturing in Detroit

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.6 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Detroit, Michigan, to support local food manufacturing.

This grant will support the city’s historic Eastern Market by providing the infrastructure needed to develop and scale business and create good paying jobs. This project will provide the road, stormwater and utility infrastructure needed for the expansion of development-ready space for new food manufacturing and production facilities. This infrastructure investment will allow the Greater Eastern Market Food Innovation Zone for additional processing, warehousing, and distribution facilities. This EDA grant, to be matched with $639,488 in local funds, is expected to create 300 jobs and generate $47.5 million in private investment.

“President Biden seeks to harness the full power of the federal government to ensure our nation not only recovers from this pandemic but builds back stronger,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This investment in Detroit’s entrepreneurs and businesses will help drive economic activity into the historic Eastern Market and will get Michiganders back to work by creating new, good-paying jobs.

“The Economic Development Administration is committed to support an equitable recovery, where we don’t only reset but we build back better.” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project embodies those efforts by supporting the expansion of Detroit’s Greater Eastern Market Food Innovation Zone which will help the economy recover in the near term and resilient in the future.”

“In Michigan, we are laser-focused on growing our economy, creating good-paying jobs, and driving down costs for families, communities, and small businesses,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I am grateful to our federal partners for investing in Detroit. With their support, entrepreneurs and businesses in the Eastern Market neighborhood will create 300 jobs and generate tens of millions in private investment as we usher in a new era of prosperity for Michigan.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need to build a more resilient food system,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow. “This investment will support our Michigan food producers and bolster economic growth in the Eastern Market neighborhood.”

“The Eastern Market neighborhood of Detroit is one of the most iconic areas of the city. Federal support to welcome new business opportunities in Eastern Market will create jobs and jumpstart the local economy,” said Senator Gary Peters. “I’m pleased that the CARES Act is continuing to help Michigan workers and better ensure our state can continue building back better.”

“The Eastern Market District is a vital and integral part of Detroit’s and the 13th Congressional District’s cultural and economic fabric,” said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13). “For many decades the Eastern Market District has provided economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs across our region. Their work has created a pathway for others to provide essential services and products to our community all year-round. This investment will help them to further their capacity and build the necessary infrastructure to grow our regions and districts economic success.”

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.