April 21 - 28, 2022

EDA announced 28 investments from April 21-28, 2022, totaling $55,782,864, which is matched by $33,497,982 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $52,178,633 in 25 American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to respond to and recover from the devastating impacts to the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes 12 projects for $34,872,304 that will help create 1,961 jobs, save 495 jobs, and leverage $519,900,000 in private investments; (2) $2,604,231 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to help communities design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change to their economy in response to structural damage to their underlying economic base, which includes one project for $2,163,482 that will help save 145 jobs; and (3) $1,000,000 in one Public Works project to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 60 jobs and leverage $100,000,000 in private investment.

• $52,178,633 in 25 American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $30,289,730 in local investments, as follows:
  • 10 Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $23,550,159 to help communities nationwide plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through infrastructure, technical assistance, planning, and revolving loan programs designed to meet their local needs.
    • $7,000,000, matched by $5,993,384 in local investment, to the Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia/Tate County, Mississippi, to support construction of a new Career Technology Education and Workforce Facility located on Northwest Mississippi Community College DeSoto Center Campus in Southaven, Mississippi. The facility will help the college meet the common technical demands for the labor force, provide support in research development, and provide hard and soft services for this region’s target industries and workforce. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, bolster job creation, spur private investment, and strengthen economic growth throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 57 job and leverage $4,000,000 in private investment.
    • $3,582,160, matched by $896,848 in local investment, to the Central State University, Wilberforce/Greene County, Ohio, to support the establishment of its new Workforce and Business Development Center to provide employment-related training, entrepreneurship skills development, and education to improve economic opportunities for small businesses in Wilberforce, Ohio. The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the region, devastating local businesses and increasing the unemployment rate, especially among the region’s historically underserved populations. The project will assist the University with implementing in-demand training programs that will help the region’s unemployed workers recover and find new careers. The training programs will include certificates in advanced manufacturing and operations as well as software coding and entrepreneurship. Once completed, the project will help address the workforce needs in the region by serving as a catalyst for private investment and job creation. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 300 jobs and leverage $1,000,000 in private investment.
    • $2,933,220, matched by $740,000 in local investment, to the Farmers Union Foundation, Saint Paul/Ramsey County (Project: Staples/Wadena County), Minnesota, to support the purchase of state-of-the-art mobile meat slaughtering and processing equipment that will be used for direct instruction at two colleges and other sites, for hosting apprenticeships, and offering informal peer-to-peer education opportunities in Staples, Minnesota. The project will help the region recover from coronavirus pandemic-related job losses and supply chain issues severely impacted by the lack of economic activity in the meat processing industry and exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. meat processing system. Among those vulnerabilities is a lack of skilled workers where meat processing jobs are located. Through a partnership with Central Lakes College and Ridgewater College, the Foundation will train adults and non-traditional students for in-demand meat processing jobs in Minnesota. Two meat processing certificate programs will be launched to provide a pathway for students to quickly gain good-paying jobs in the high-demand meat processing industry. Once completed, the project will address the workforce needs in the region by serving as a catalyst for private investment and job creation. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 150 jobs, save 200 jobs and leverage $20,000,000 in private investment.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $1,627,276 in local investment, to Briar Cliff University, Sioux City/Woodbury County, Iowa, to support the renovation and expansion of a former residence hall at Briar Cliff University for adaptive reuse as an academic building and primary education and training hub for all health sciences programs at the University. The new space will allow the existing health sciences programs at the University to be co-located in one building, supported by new classrooms, labs, learning studios, faculty offices, and a new pediatric clinic for applied learning, allowing for expanded and enhanced training and educational capacity. Staffing shortages in the health care industry have consistently been a challenge for several years in the Sioux City area and for surrounding rural critical access healthcare facilities, and thus have been only further exacerbated by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The project will help address the region's health care workforce strategy and contribute to the industry’s market growth and resiliency. In addition, the new center for the health sciences programs will accommodate approximately 500 students, almost doubling the current enrollment with room for future expansion. Over the next nine years, the University expects this new facility and its consolidated health sciences programs to educate and place up to 913 graduates in high-skill, well-paying jobs in the Sioux City Tri-State region, throughout the state of Iowa, and nationwide. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 913 jobs.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $717,932 in local investment, to LaSalle General Hospital, Jena/LaSalle County, Louisiana, to support LaSalle General Hospital (LGH) with renovating and expanding its building allowing for the training of health care professionals and technicians with a focus on addressing the health needs of the region including COVID-19 response and recovery in Jena, Louisiana. The project will help LGH modernize its medical facilities to accommodate a larger and broadened workforce training program, to generate health professionals for LGH and regional medical facilities. Once completed, the project will help graduates go on to gain higher wage jobs and fill a critical health care need, which will help address the region's health care workforce strategy and contribute to the industry’s market growth and resiliency. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 30 jobs, save 40 jobs, and leverage $1,300,000 in private investment.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the City of Carlsbad, Carlsbad/Eddy County, New Mexico, to support the replacement of a waterline to increase local water security and sustainability, and to promote economic growth in Eddy County, New Mexico. The improved water capacity will provide service to existing businesses as well as boost emerging business opportunities in the area. Once completed, the project will advance economic resiliency, attract private investment, and further economic diversification throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs and leverage $233,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,932,000, matched by $483,000 in local investment, to the City of Byron, Byron/Peach County, Georgia, to support construction of water infrastructure improvements at the Benjamin Hawkins Industrial Park in Peach County, Georgia. The project adds resilience to the city’s infrastructure that will help to prevent future negative impacts from the coronavirus pandemic within the community. In addition, the improved water capacity will provide service to existing businesses as well as boost emerging business opportunities in the area, which will help advance economic resiliency, attract private investment, and further economic diversification throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 24 jobs, save 27 jobs, and leverage $3,500,000 in private investment.
    • $1,500,000, matched by $375,000 in local investment, to the Matagorda Waste Disposal and Water Supply Corporation, Matagorda/Matagorda County, Texas, to support construction of water system and roadway improvements for the development of a 42-acre industrial park in Matagorda County, Texas. The infrastructure improvements consist of the installation of approximately 62,700 linear feet of new 8-inch water main, one new 50,000-gallon elevated tank, as well as hydrants, valves, and related appurtenances, and associated repairs to impacted gravel roads, asphalt roads, and driveways. The project will help improve public and economic infrastructure to boost emerging business opportunities in the area, which will advance economic resiliency, attract private investment, and further economic diversification throughout the region.
    • $360,000, matched by $90,000 in local investment, to the Town of Prosper, Prosper/Collin County, Texas, to support the Town of Prosper, as well as the four surrounding rural communities of Anna, Melissa, Gunter, and Van Alstyne, with conducting a subregional broadband assessment and strategy for the region. The coronavirus pandemic exposed and compounded the region's limited broadband capacity, revealing disparate levels of broadband access. The project will allow the region to identify gaps in broadband access and ultimately develop a plan to increase broadband reliability and accessibility in these communities, improving the potential for business expansions and retention in the region. Once completed, the project will fill gaps in the region where broadband is currently unavailable and connect historically underserved populations throughout the area to the digital ways of life.
    • $242,779, matched by $60,695 in local investment, to Entrepreneurship for All, Inc., Lowell/Middlesex County (Project: Haverhill/Essex County), Massachusetts, to support Entrepreneurship for All, Inc. with providing technical assistance for entrepreneurs in the City of Haverhill to successfully launch and grow their businesses and for existing small businesses to stabilize their operations and set a course for sustainability in Essex County, Massachusetts. The long-term economic distress of the region and the accelerated joblessness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted economic development in the area. The project will address the needed support for entrepreneurs and small businesses by removing barriers that restrict growth in the city. In addition, the project will help promote an inclusive entrepreneurial culture in the city to ensure that the businesses that are launched are diverse in terms of their ownership, product line, and client base, and that they best serve the diverse needs of the Haverhill community, which will help further economic diversification throughout the region.
  • Four Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $13,365,111 to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
    • $5,232,611, matched by $3,338,615 in local investment, to the Greenville Spartanburg Airport District, Greer/Spartanburg County, South Carolina, to support construction of critical infrastructure improvements at the Greenville Spartanburg Airport in Greer, South Carolina. The project improvements include extending a roadway at the airport to allow for vehicle access to the expanded apron and a jet blast deflector to keep vehicles traversing the road safe during aircraft operations. The project will support growing cargo traffic that is straining current capabilities at the airport, which will help the region recover from the coronavirus pandemic by creating new job opportunities and attracting private investment to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
    • $5,000,000, matched by $6,530,000 in local investment, to the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, the International Transportation Innovation Center, the City of Greenville, and Greenville County, Greenville/Greenville County, South Carolina, to support construction of additional high speed loop infrastructure to the automotive test track located on the campus of South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center in Greenville County, to support vehicles ranging from small cars to fully loaded tractor trailers. The project consists of construction of two travel lanes, and two banked loops to allow vehicles to maintain speed and allow test vehicles to safely gain speed and enter a large, banked turn on either end of the runway, allowing manufacturers to conduct a variety of vehicle and systems tests. Once completed, the project will help the region address the significant and sudden loss of jobs and tax revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic by enhancing job creation and retention in an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
    • $1,632,500, matched by $699,760 in local investment, to San Juan County, Aztec/San Juan County, New Mexico, to support infrastructure improvements to the San Juan County Industrial Park, to offer premium ready to occupy industrial space, scalable to meet future growth needs of prospective new tenants in Aztec, New Mexico. The project will include extension of the natural gas line to the property, broadband, water/fire, and suppression system upgrades, lighting and security upgrades, and mechanical upgrades to include HVAC systems, office area upgrades, and roof system improvements. The natural gas and broadband infrastructure will enhance the marketability of vacant land for other businesses, which will help the region diversify its local economy, create jobs, and advance economic resiliency to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
    • $1,500,000, matched by $4,960,000 in local investment, to the City of Kingsport, Kingsport/Sullivan County, Tennessee, to support the upgrading of existing water pump stations to ensure the city has the essential water supply for future growth in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Over the last few years, both the county and city have lost jobs due to plant closings and reductions. This project will assist potential manufacturers and businesses looking to locate or expand in Kingsport with a reliable water source, as well as provide consistent water service allowing economic developers to market the region better. Once completed, the project will help the region diversify its local economy, create jobs, and advance economic resiliency to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 83 jobs and leverage $230,000,000 in private investment.
  • Eight Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Projects for $11,849,507 to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $6,560,000, matched by $1,640,000 in local investment, to the Wheeling Park Commission, Wheeling/Ohio County, West Virginia, to support the Wheeling Park Commission (WPC) with updating the Oglebay Park's Wilson Lodge front entrance and restaurants, including ADA access improvements, and a new farm-to-table initiative to grow food on site to support the Oglebay dining experience in Ohio County, West Virginia. Oglebay is one of the two major municipal parks of the WPC, which sustained significant revenue shortfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic. Wilson Lodge is a hospitality driver of Oglebay and the WPC. The project will help the region become more resilient to fluctuations in tourism and assist in the region's recovery, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency in the area. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 45 jobs, save 192 jobs, and leverage $20,000,000 in private investment.
    • $3,250,000, matched by $845,000 in local investment, to the City of Wildwood, Wildwood/Cape May County, New Jersey, to support the reconstruction of two and a half blocks of the Wildwood Boardwalk, located between Pine and Maple Avenues to Magnolia Avenue in New Jersey. As the primary economic driver for both the City and County, this reconstruction project will not only lead to an increase in customers for businesses on and around the boardwalk, including retail, entertainment, food service, accommodations, short-term property rentals, and other tourism-related businesses, but will ensure that these increases remain a permanent part of the local economy. The reconstruction of the boardwalk ensures that it remains an economic driver for the coronavirus pandemic economic recovery efforts and to build the resilience of the regional economy that depends on tourism for fiscal viability. Once completed, the project will help the region become more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities and spur private investment throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 109 jobs and leverage $6,000,000 in private investment.
    • $751,203, matched by $185,752 in local investment, to the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina, Carolina/Carolina County, Puerto Rico, to support the establishment of the Caribbean CARES Hospitality Academy project, to assist the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration of the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina in favorably positioning businesses within the tourism and hospitality sectors of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to recover from business losses and employee turnover. The project will help recovery in tourism-related industries that have been uneven and slow in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the project will provide opportunities for education, training, and workforce development to further enhance the resiliency of tourism and hospitality industries in the area. Once completed, the project will help build resiliency to withstand future economic disruptions, which will boost and promote economic growth throughout the region.
    • $400,000, matched by $120,000 in local investment, to Westchester County, White Plains/Westchester County, New York, to fund the development of the Westchester County Tourism Recovery Plan, to support tourism research, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and prioritization of initiatives and projects that will help the tourism sector recover from adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in White Plains, New York. The plan will produce professional documentation of short, medium and long-term actions and priorities that should be taken to recover and grow the tourism sector for maximum economic benefit in the region. Once implemented, the plan will help encourage new business opportunities to develop in the tourism sector, particularly focusing on new business models and improving attractiveness of the county as a destination, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency in the area.
    • $393,193, matched by $102,689 in local investment, to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina (Project: Lynchburg/ Lynchburg City County, Virginia), to support the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation (BRPF) with establishing a strategic planning process to help engage community leaders in all 12 Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway counties and associated independent cities to determine realistic and effective strategies to enhance tourism and related economic development. The BRPF will work alongside community leaders in each county to examine the Blue Ridge Parkway as a community asset and identify strategies to grow travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation in rural and underserved communities. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt all along the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor in Virginia and this project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and promote the economic resilience of regions dependent on the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries.
    • $208,000, matched by $312,000 in local investment, to the Hamilton County Tourism, Inc., Camel/Hamilton County, Indiana, to support the development of a new comprehensive tourism strategy to help the county recover from tourism-related losses of the COVID-19 pandemic in Carmel, Indiana. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated Hamilton County’s tourism economy, resulting in layoffs of more than a third of the County’s tourism workforce and a 24 percent drop in overall tourism spending. As a nationally recognized destination for youth and amateur sporting events, the strategy will focus on how best to leverage the County’s national reputation for sporting events and ensure that the entire regional economy benefits from this important economic cluster. Once completed, the strategy will examine the current tourism economy and identify future tourism market opportunities, using a broad body of information to develop a plan to support tourism recovery and resiliency, which will help increase employment opportunities and spur private investment in the area.
    • $167,198, matched by $41,800 in local investment, to the Southwest Regional Development Commission, Slayton/Murray County, Minnesota, to support the development of its new outdoor recreation trail plan. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southwest Minnesota region suffered devastating job losses and business closures. The project will conduct a study and analyses of the populations engaging in outdoor recreation and current community outreach efforts to assist the region in increasing tourism activity in the area. Once completed, the project will help the region become more resilient to fluctuations in tourism and capitalize outdoor recreation assets, which will help increase employment opportunities and spur private investment throughout the region.
    • $119,913, matched by $29,979 in local investment, to the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission, Hancock/Houghton County, Michigan, to support development of the Western Upper Peninsula Tourism Economic Impact Analysis, to help regional leaders better-understand how to capitalize on tourism and outdoor recreation as a regional economic driver in Hancock, Michigan. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the region’s tourism industry but also created demand and opportunities in outdoor recreation for the region. Once completed, the project will help the region respond to damage to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors from the coronavirus pandemic, which will enhance future economic sustainability, strengthen the regional economy, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • Three Indigenous Communities Projects for $3,413,856 to support the needs of Tribal Governments and Indigenous communities.
    • $1,872,145, with no local match, to the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Cedar City/Iron County, Utah, to support the implementation of Phase 3 construction of the Cedar City Community Health Center (Center) in Iron County, Utah. The Center will provide critical healthcare infrastructure and enhance the resiliency of the tribe to respond to future Coronavirus outbreaks and other healthcare issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the tribal community leading to distress in the healthcare system and the new health clinic in Cedar City is needed to keep up with current patient demand. The Center will serve the community’s highest needs, by providing expanded, affordable access to medical, behavioral health, and dental care to the underserved populations. In addition, as the Tribe expands the services it offers to the community, new employment opportunities with improved wages will be created and boost the socioeconomic factors on the Reservation. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 15 jobs and
    • $1,005,511, with no local match, to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Harbor Springs/Emmet County, Michigan, to support the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians with hiring an Economic Recovery Coordinator to assist with the development and implementation of a new strategy for economic diversification in Harbor Springs, Michigan. The project will help the tribe recover from COVID-19 by addressing tourism-related investments that suffered large losses caused by disruptions during the pandemic. The resulting loss in revenue and loss of jobs prompted the tribe to enlist help with outreach to tribal members and groups to engage their input in developing the strategy, which will be finalized over the course of the three-year project period. Once implemented, the plan will provide an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
    • $536,200, with no local match, to the Pueblo of Jemez, Jemez Pueblo/Sandoval County, New Mexico, to support development of a feasibility study for the Tribe’s energy independence. The study will outline strategies to acquire and/or create the energy infrastructure necessary for Pueblo to be carbon neutral, utilizing 100% clean energy and deliver a path towards economic development. Included within the plan will be an analysis of renewable energy generation capacity and workforce development to assist tribal members with economic recovery through both reduction of energy cost burden and job creation. Once completed, the project will help the Tribe recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing a concrete action plan that will advance economic resiliency and diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
• $2,604,231 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $655,552 in local investments, as follows:
  • $2,163,482, matched by $540,877 in local investment, to the Town of Kennebunkport, Kennebunkport/York County, Maine, to support the reconstruction of the Cape Porpoise commercial pier, including repairs to the existing bulkhead; widening a 50-foot section; replacement of the bait building; installation of 8 floats and aluminum gangways; the provision of sewer service to the bait building; electrical, lighting and communications upgrades; the installation of solar panels; the replacement and relocation of fuel tanks; and parking improvements in Kennebunkport, Maine. The reconstruction of pier will help to repair storm-related damage, improve its ability to serve the region’s commercial fishing industry, and ensure its long-term resilience against future storms and floods, which will help protect critical infrastructure and bolster job creation and retention throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 145 jobs.
  • $440,749, matched by $114,675 in local investment, to the North Carolina State University-Raleigh, Raleigh/Wake County, North Carolina, to support the development, dissemination, and facilitation of action plans to guide implementation steps to enable greater coordination between economic and workforce development professionals on strategies for economic recovery in Raleigh, North Carolina. The project will help cultivate best practices for economic and workforce development professionals collaborating more effectively post-pandemic to understand and address dynamic shifts occurring in both fields, and to determine strategies for how the adverse impacts of these shifts can be better mitigated. Once completed, the plans will enhance future economic sustainability, strengthen the regional economy, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region.
• $1,000,000 in one Public Works project, matched by $2,552,700 in local investment, as follows:
  • $1,000,000, matched by $2,552,700 in local investment, to the City of Guymon, Guymon/Texas County, Oklahoma, to fund construction improvements of an existing wastewater system for the City of Guymon, OK. These improvements will support the city’s industrial park, to provide for the needs of existing business, keeping those businesses in the park, and allowing for substantial expansion. Once completed, the project will help to generate an environment that can serve as a catalyst for unprecedented regional economic growth. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs and leverage $100,000,000 in private investment.