Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.6 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Business Growth in Lansing, Michigan

Award is Part of the Department of Commerce’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.6 million grant to the Capital Region Airport Authority, Lansing, Michigan, for water, sewer and utility infrastructure upgrades needed to spur economic growth at the Capital Region International Airport. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.

This grant will support industrial expansion at the airport, creating new business opportunities in a region impacted by the declining use of coal. The EDA investment will be matched with $894,661 in local funds and is expected to create 250 jobs, retain 10 jobs and generate $100 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that our nation’s coal communities are provided with the resources they need to transition to new industries,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will spur economic diversification and build a more robust regional economy in Michigan.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support locally-driven strategies to boost economic recovery efforts in Michigan,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment in Port Lansing will deliver new opportunities and leverage the critical role that the airport plays in economic development, while building regional resiliency and delivering good-paying jobs.”

“The EDA’s $3.6 million investment builds on improvements we have made to the state’s airports and it will build on Lansing’s economic growth,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Michigan’s airports are critical to the state’s economy and support $22 billion in economic development across the state. With this new investment, we will create and protect 260 good-paying jobs, and keep competing to bring investment to every region.”

“Michigan airports play a vital role in keeping travelers, communities and businesses connected to important markets and destinations,” said Senator Gary Peters. “I’m pleased to welcome this investment in the Capital Region International Airport to upgrade critical infrastructure and drive economic growth.”

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022.

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.