July 18 - 22, 2016

* The POWER Initiative is an integrated, multi-agency effort to invest Federal economic and workforce development resources in communities and regions negatively affected by changes in the coal economy.

• $2,481,649 in Economic Adjustment assistance to the City of Lowell, Massachusetts, to support roadway, bridge, and infrastructure improvements within the Hamilton Canal District. The new construction will attract additional public projects and spur private investment through the re-invention of fifteen acres of vacant, previously industrial land into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood connecting downtown, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the Charles A. Gallagher Multimodal Terminal, and other key places. This investment is part of a $7,203,011 project that the grantee estimates will create 150 jobs and leverage $60 million in private investment.
• $1.782 million in Economic Adjustment assistance to the Coalfield Development Corporation, Wayne, West Virginia, to support the construction and rehabilitation of the Coalfield Development Corporation’s West Factory to support workforce training and job placement programs. The project will help diversify the regional economy in Wayne, Mingo, and Lincoln counties, all of which have suffered from severe job losses due to the downturn in the coal industry. This investment is part of a $2,227,500 project that the grantee estimates will create 320 jobs.
• $1,353,450 in Economic Adjustment assistance to Camden County, North Carolina, to support the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant to serve the Courthouse Township sewer district in Camden County. The new infrastructure will yield long-term benefits to the region by providing residents with greater access to health care services and opening up 2,000 acres for commercial development. This investment is part of a $2,706,900 project that the grantee estimates will create 20 jobs and leverage $608,000 in private investment.
• $160,000 in Economic Adjustment assistance under the Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER)* program to the Research Foundation of SUNY-University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, to assist in addressing the sudden and severe economic distress impacting the Town of Tonawanda following the impending closure of the NRG Huntley coal-fired power plant. The POWER Strategy efforts will support the town by creating a Project Advisory Committee which will leverage the economic development strategies of the regional CEDS and Western NY Regional Economic Development Council to pursue new economic opportunities and respond to the change in Tonawanda’s economic and tax revenue base. This investment is part of a $266,667 project.