April 7 - 13, 2022

EDA announced 12 investments from April 7-13, 2022, totaling $25,257,992, which is matched by $11,200,468 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $3,211,900 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes two projects for $2,111,900 that will help create 121 jobs, save 13 jobs, and leverage $2,000,000 in private investments; (2) $275,000 in two 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; (3) $16,811,092 in four 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 three projects for $16,555,092 that will help create 134 jobs, save 70 jobs, and leverage $20,800,000 in private investments; (4) $4,750,000 in two Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 550 jobs, save 100 jobs, and leverage $300,000,000 in private investments; and (5) $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $3,211,900 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Projects, matched by $1,321,177 in local investments, as follows:
  • $1,200,000, matched by $300,000 in local investment, to the Columbia Gorge Community College, The Dalles/Wasco County, Oregon, to support expansion of the Health Science Workforce in the Columbia Gorge Region. The project will support the college’s efforts to train students to be qualified staff at regional medical centers, nursing homes, and emergency medicine locations. The project will help the region absorb, recover from, and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a nursing shortage in the area and an increase in state demand for skilled healthcare workers. Once completed, the project is expected to graduate around 800 new healthcare professionals to meet immediate regional needs or to move into further study that will lead to higher-level jobs (i.e., advanced practice nurses, physician assistants), which will contribute to the region's local workforce, create and retain jobs, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 21 jobs and save 13 jobs.
  • $1,100,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the BioBAT, Inc., Brooklyn/Kings County, New York, to support the development of the design and engineering for the renovation of 24,515 square feet of vacant space on the third floor of Building A at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, to provide space for two biotechnology companies that are working on products to treat the coronavirus and have outgrown their space at the SUNY Downstate Biotechnology Incubator in Brooklyn, New York. The project would ensure the companies remain and expand in Brooklyn and advance the biotechnology cluster in New York City, which will support resiliency for the biotech industry and better enable the region to respond to future economic disruptions, including pandemics and natural disasters.
  • $911,900, matched by $521,177 in local investment, to the Illinois Central College, East Peoria/Peoria County, Illinois, to support upgrades and expansions to Illinois Central College’s workforce training facilities and equipment at the College’s East Peoria and Pekin campuses. The project will help increase regional demand for workforce training in fields such as welding, truck driving, and emergency services. Once completed, the project will position the college to help meet the needs of the region’s employers. In addition, newly trained emergency services technicians will help increase employment opportunities and make the region stronger and more resilient in the face of future disasters like the coronavirus pandemic, which will advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
• $275,000 in two American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $50,490 in local investments, as follows:
  • One Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Project for $200,000 to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $200,000, matched by $50,490 in local investment, to the Town of Bernalillo, Bernalillo/Sandoval County, New Mexico, to support the creation of a tourism strategy to attract new visitors to the region and build a tourism industry in Bernalillo, New Mexico. The project aims to build relationships with tribal cultural councils and local businesses to support area artists in their continuous preservation of important historic and cultural traditions. Once completed, the project will support a planning process to build collaborative tourism products and grant-ready projects, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • One Indigenous Communities Project for $75,000 to support the needs of Tribal Governments and Indigenous communities.
    • $75,000, with no local match, to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass Lake/Cass County, Minnesota, to support the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe with updating a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to spur job creation and diversification of the local economy, which will greatly benefit the region as it looks to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the CEDS will provide a foundation for collaboration among the 17 villages located within three districts on the reservation and provide the necessary strategic economic development framework for the Band. Once completed, the project will provide the region with a roadmap to achieve long-term prosperity and growth and help the Reservation build resiliency to withstand future economic disruptions.
• $16,811,092 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $6,133,801 in local investments, as follows:
  • $7,319,125 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $1,829,781 in local investment, to the North Slope Borough, Barrow/North Slope County, Alaska, to support the construction of roadway in the North Slope Borough to provide an alternative access road to the Barrow Arctic Research Center, Community College, and a freight corridor, along the Arctic Ocean. Due to flooding in the North Slope Borough, which washed Stevenson Road away, the road is the only access to the Barrow Arctic Research Center and community college, which are locally major employers. In addition, the new roadway will help alleviate the borough's dependence on a road along the Arctic Ocean that is being washed away due to climate change and maintains access to research and educational facilities. Once completed, the project will increase resiliency, mitigate the effects of natural disasters, and promote economic growth throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help leverage $10,200,000 in private investment.
  • $7,282,736 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $3,751,712 in local investment, to the Port of Port Angeles, Port Angeles/Clallam County, Washington, to support the design and construction of an 18-acre Marine Trades Industrial Park (MTIP) on Port of Port Angeles industrial waterfront property in Clallam County, Washington. The region has a strong local marine trades industry with multiple existing boat building and repair facilities within Clallam County. The MTIP development will create economic and infrastructure resiliency that will expand and diversify the region’s economic base and serve as a catalyst for private investment, which will help strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 103 jobs, save 60 jobs, and leverage $7,900,000 in private investment.
  • $1,953,231 in Assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities, matched by $488,308 in local investment, to the City of Kewaunee, Kewaunee/Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, to support the construction of a new business park that will allow the city to attract new businesses and help existing commercial and industrial users to expand in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. The 2013 Kewaunee Power Station closure led to severe economic dislocations and job losses in the Kewaunee region. The region’s long-term recovery and resilience to future shocks depends on the city’s ability to diversify its economy through business expansion and attraction. This project is a critical asset for the region's economic recovery from the loss of the nuclear power station by providing employment opportunities, spurring private investment, and strengthening the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 31 jobs, save 10 jobs, and leverage $2,700,000 in private investment.
  • $256,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $64,000 in local investment, to the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission/Village of Cassville, Platteville/Grant County (Project: Cassville/Grant County), Wisconsin, to support the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Village of Cassville with creating a recovery and resiliency planning effort to respond to two coal-fired power plant closures in Grant County, Wisconsin. In addition, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic led to more layoffs and closures and this project will help the region chart a new course to economic recovery and resilience. The plan will evaluate the county’s assets, deliver broad consensus on the county’s desired future, respond to economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and generate a roadmap for expanding economic prosperity throughout the region. Once completed, the project will allow the Village to study how to attract new residents and businesses, help the region diversify its local economy, create and save jobs, and advance economic resiliency to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
• $4,750,000 in two Public Works projects, matched by $3,485,000 in local investments, as follows:
  • $2,750,000, matched by $2,750,000 in local investment, to the Borough of Paulsboro, Paulsboro/Gloucester County, New Jersey, to support expanding the treatment capacity of the Paulsboro Water Treatment Plant, gaining an additional 1,000 GPM of treatment capacity for a total of 2,500 GPM. The capacity increase will allow the borough full use of their water allocation for the three wells, which will be used to support commercial and industrial development within the borough. The project will also include construction of a 6,000 SF building to contain the new water treatment system. The increased capacity will serve a new manufacturing facility to build steel components, known as monopiles, for offshore wind turbines that will serve the entire United States offshore wind industry. Once completed, the project will increase business growth and development, bolster job creation and retention, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 500 jobs, save 100 jobs, and leverage $250,000,000 in private investment.
  • $2,000,000, matched by $735,000 in local investment, to the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission, Laurens/Laurens County, South Carolina, to support the construction of sewer infrastructure to serve a prime industrial corridor located in Laurens County, South Carolina. The sewer improvements will support the expansion of a Danish company representing a foreign direct investment in the region. Once completed, the project will create jobs, increase economic resiliency, attract private investment, and promote the advancement of the manufacturing industry within the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs and leverage $50,000,000 in private investment.
• $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project, matched by $210,000 in local investment, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS). The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.