August 5 - 11, 2022

EDA announced 29 investments from August 5-11, 2022, totaling $38,639,983, which is matched by $20,836,622 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $28,982,692 in 12 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 10 projects for $26,320,911 that will help create 2,268 jobs, save 342 jobs, and leverage $65,050,000 in private investments; (2) $4,531,439 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 that will help create 453 jobs and leverage $30,900,000 in private investments; (3) $3,000,000 in one Public Works project to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 1,000 jobs and leverage $100,000,000 in private investment; (4) $331,962 in two Local Technical Assistance projects to strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective economic development programs; (5) 834,000 in six Technical Assistance University Center projects to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (6) $959,890 in six Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $28,982,692 in 12 American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $13,257,703 in local investments, as follows:
  • Five Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $7,536,164 matched by $3,463,685 in local investments, 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.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to Kansas State University, Manhattan/Riley County (Project: Manhattan/Pottawatomie County), Kansas, to support Kansas State University (KSU) Technology Development Institute (TDI) Digital Manufacturing Technologies Program, to provide digital design and manufacturing technology and services and related product development and training to both University students and private industry manufacturers across the state of Kansas. The project will assist the University in making new investments in production-level metal/polymer Additive Manufacturing and collaborative robotics, machine vision, and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. New programs and services include digital manufacturing readiness assessments, direct technical assistance projects, creation of the Kansas Future Factory Network, and support of developing future strategic investment opportunities to build the state’s small manufacturing scale-up infrastructure. The program will result in increased economic resiliency, diversification, and innovation across the state's manufacturing industries. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 85 jobs, save 160 jobs, and leverage $26,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,900,000, matched by $2,050,000 in local investment, to South Dakota State University/Dakota Bioproducts Innovation Institute, Brookings/Brookings County, South Dakota, to support the construction of a new facility that will house a laboratory with specialized equipment to develop products for commercialization in Brookings, South Dakota. The project will assist South Dakota State University (SDSU) with purchasing new equipment to further develop new bio-processing processes and products research for Dakota Bioproducts Institute. The Bioproducts Institute and SDSU research and development capabilities will create an economy-building process encompassing research, commercialization, entrepreneurial activity, and business growth, which will further economic diversification throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 204 jobs.
    • $1,801,729, matched by $450,432 in local investment, to the City of Las Vegas/Clark County/The Chef Jeff Project, Inc., to support the expansion of the pilot Culinary Training and Leadership Academy in North Las Vegas by increasing program staff and adding two mobile kitchens/learning laboratories, one passenger van, and supporting equipment that will expand the service area and allow program delivery to the highest-need communities across Clark County. The area has experienced significant economic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and business closures. The project supports recovery and the region's food service and hospitality industry cluster by providing culinary and leadership training, which will attract new industries, create jobs, increase global competitiveness, and promote economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 214 jobs and leverage $3,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,247,040, matched by $314,775 in local investment, to the Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center/Orange County, Vermont, to support the development of a COVID-19 response Agriculture and Food System Transformation plan. The plan increases capacity with 3 new positions to aid in meeting new market demands and provides the necessary workforce development to spur innovation, fill job vacancies and graduate the next generation workforce of farmers and ag entrepreneurs in Randolph Center, Vermont. Once completed, the project will help enhance recovery and resilience of Vermont’s agricultural and food manufacturing ecosystem, which will help broaden the industrial base of the region and address the workforce needs in the area, to serve as a catalyst for private investment and job creation. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 690 jobs.
    • $587,395, matched by $148,478 in local investment, to Recinto Universitario Mayaguez, Mayaguez/Mayaguez County, Puerto Rico, to support Recinto Universitario Mayaguez with assisting the Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) in an assessment process, a total of 20 nonprofits organizations will be selected to receive mentoring and technical assistance for a period of one year. From the assessment performed, the most critical technical issues identified will be established as an Action Plan, to help provide guidance for overcoming management or technical difficulties in local nonprofit organizations that work as a deterrent for investment (potential governmental and private donors) to regional economic development and for opportunities for underserved populations served by local NPOs. Once completed, the project will diversify the local economy, promote economic sustainability, expand job opportunities, and promote growth throughout the region.
  • One ARP Economic Adjustment Assistance Research and Networks Project for $592,783, with no local match, to invest in research that assesses the effectiveness of EDA’s programs and provides support for stakeholder communities around key EDA initiatives.
    • $592,783, with no local match, to the Innovative Policy Lab, Providence/Suffolk County, Rhode Island, to support the Unlocking Data and Science to Measure the Causal Return-on-Investment of the Good Jobs Challenge project. The project will take place over a 16-month period and will be carried out by Research Improving People's Lives (RIPL). RIPL will provide a cloud-based data infrastructure and scalable scientific code needed to measure and demonstrate which Good Jobs Challenges (GJC) programs and approaches equitably work to drive successful economic development and connect Americans to in-demand careers. Once completed, the project will establish and strengthen the collaboration among GJC grantees.
  • Three Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Projects for $4,503,194, matched by $6,281,677 in local investments, to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $2,068,998, matched by $517,250 in private investment, to the Nevada System of Higher Education, Las Vegas/Clark County, Nevada, to support the development of a program to facilitate economic recovery, resilience, and diversification in the regional tourism industry. The project will entail the development of activities and outputs to include preparation of resiliency plans, operation of a business and workforce capacity building education and training programs, and performance of tourism diversification planning. 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 Clark County as a destination, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency in the area.
    • $1,400,000, matched by $5,321,200 in local investment, to the City of Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg/Gillespie County, Texas, to support the City of Fredericksburg with growing the tourist destination in central Texas by building a parking facility to mitigate congestion and improve pedestrian safety along the U.S. 290 corridor, which runs through the center of the city. The project will help the city continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and be an important first step in helping Fredericksburg to better manage parking demand, which will be vital for the city to accommodate the growing influx of tourists. Once completed, the project will help encourage new business opportunities to develop in the tourism sector, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency in the area. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 526 jobs and save 33 jobs.
    • $1,034,196, matched by $443,227 in local investment, to Swift County, Benson/Swift County, Minnesota, to support Swift County with redeveloping and enhancing the Appleton Area Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park in Benson, Minnesota. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy’s recovery and resilience to future economic disruptions requires improvements at the Appleton OHV Park. The project will ensure the Park’s long-term viability as a critical source of tourism-based economic activity, which will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs, save 25 jobs, and leverage $50,000 in private investment.
  • Three Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $16,350,551, matched by $3,512,341 in local investments, to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
    • $5,840,000, matched by $1,460,000 in local investment, to the Hagerstown Community College/Washington County Board of Commissioners, Hagerstown/Washington County, Maryland, to support Hagerstown Community College with renovating a facility to support a workforce job training program and private enterprise needs in Washington County, Maryland. The project will help stabilize regional employment by addressing shortages in both commercial truck drivers and skilled trades and build local capacity to support economic growth in key industries. Once completed, the project will create job opportunities, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency in a region that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 304 jobs, save 111 jobs, and leverage $600,000 in private investment.
    • $5,360,000, matched by $1,340,000 in local investment, to Randolph County Development Authority, Elkins/Randolph County, West Virginia, to support the construction of a 16,000 square foot conference and event center at the former Elkins Railyard site in Randolph County, West Virginia. The building will be a single-story building with half of the building dedicated to theater-style seating that is flexible for various performances and the other half of the building will be designed for flexible open space for training workshops, trade shows and business conferences. Once completed, the project will help promote new business creations, which will generate jobs, attract private investment, and help strengthen and diversify the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 87 jobs, save 13 jobs, and leverage $22,400,000 in private investment.
    • $5,150,551, matched by $712,341 in local investment, to the Town of Hayden, Hayden/Routt County, Colorado, to support the Town of Hayden with improving the roadway network, sanitary sewer collection system, and water distribution system in the newly designated Northern Colorado Business District adjacent to the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, to support business retention, expansion, and attraction for the region, contributing to creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem that can drive innovation for a sustainable future. Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, bolster job creation, spur private investment, strengthen economic growth, 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 79 jobs and leverage $12,000,000 in private investment.
• $4,531,439 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $1,678,958 in local investments, as follows:
  • $3,315,342 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $1,359,572 in local investment, to the City of Craig/Moffat County, Craig/Moffat County, Colorado, to support construction of a multi-use park and river access corridor with attractive natural assets and an instream recreational whitewater boating feature on 420 linear feet of the Yampa River in Moffat County, Colorado, about 1.5 miles outside the central business district of the city of Craig. The project will increase economic diversification, vitality, and resiliency in the rural northwestern region of Colorado, an area economically heavily reliant on and affected by the coal economy and its recent and anticipated future downturns, by providing new opportunities for outdoor recreation-based businesses in the region. Once completed, the project will help create new job opportunities to boost economic development throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 129 jobs and leverage $16,300,000 in private investment.
  • $1,216,097 matched by $319,386 in local investment, to the Fresno City College, Fresno/Fresno County, California, to support the procurement of supplies and training equipment to fully equip the new welding and auto labs at the new West Fresno Advanced Training Center in Fresno, California. The project will help address the local and regional need for advanced welders and vehicle technicians by providing a new state-of-the-art advanced training center and programs. Once completed, the new Center will support workforce development, provide sustainable income in the agriculture and manufacturing industries, and stabilize the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 324 jobs and leverage $14,600,000 in private investment.
• $3,000,000 in one Public Works project, matched by $4,159,145 in local investment, as follows:
  • $3,000,000, matched by $4,159,145 in local investment, to the River Ridge Development Authority, Clark/Jeffersonville County, Indiana, to support the construction of nearly 12,000 feet of water main to connect water storage tanks and increase the River Ridge Development Park’s water capacity in Clark, Indiana. The region suffered layoffs and business closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Duke Energy Gallagher coal-fired power plant closure in 2021 further exacerbated the region’s distress. The project will provide new opportunities for displaced coal workers and help diversify the region’s economy to become more resilient in the future, which will serve as a catalyst for unprecedented regional economic growth. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create $1,000,000 jobs and leverage $100,000,000 in private investment.
• $331,962 in two Local Technical Assistance projects, matched by $86,816 as follows:
  • $260,462, matched by $86,816 in local investment, to the Neuse River Council of Governments, New Bern/Craven County, North Carolina, to support the Neuse River Council of Governments with providing enhanced technical assistance to support the Eastern Carolina Council's efforts to build additional resources supporting economic development objectives across the nine-county region in New Bern, North Carolina. The technical assistance and support are necessary to the region’s local governments regarding topics such as land use and zoning regulations/ordinances, community economic development, planning, grant writing, grant, and project administration, and information dissemination. Once completed, the project will provide new opportunities in workforce development, which will lead to the creation of jobs and businesses throughout the region.
  • $71,500, with no local match, to the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, to fund the Hideout Property project, to support the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation with developing and implementing a tourist attraction to bolster the tourism industry within the reservation. The project work consists of hiring a consultant to conduct an analysis of the Hideout Property, to help the tribe determine the best commercial enterprise for them to engage in at the property, the infrastructure needs of the property, and the benefits to the residents of the reservation, such as employment estimates once the project is finished. Once completed, the analysis will lead to the capitalization on new opportunities and creation of jobs throughout the region.
• $834,000 in six Technical Assistance University Center projects, matched by $834,000 in local investments, to support the fifth year of a five-year University Center program, which is a competitively based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community. The program provides technical assistance and research and development tools to increase productivity, spur innovation, and promote entrepreneurship to help increase long-term regional competitiveness and economic diversification.
• $959,890 in six Partnership Planning projects, matched by $820,000 in local investments, 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.
  • Clearwater ED Association, Inc. Lewiston/Nez Perce County, ID ($225,000)
  • Eastgate Regional COG, Youngstown/Mahoning County, OH ($210,000)
  • Headwaters Regional Dev Commission, Bemidji/Beltrami County, MN ($210,000)
  • Shelton ED Corporation, Shelton/Fairfield County, CT ($210,000)
  • Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston/Suffolk County, MA ($70,000)
  • Seneca Nation of Indians, Salamanca/Cattaraugus County, NY ($34,890)