Grant

March 21 - 24, 2022

EDA announced 18 investments from March 21-24, 2022, totaling $10,386,032, which is matched by $2,793,667 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $294,746 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Project to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic; (2) $8,504,966 in 14 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 seven projects for $6,283,983 that will help create 505 jobs, save 691 jobs, and leverage $25,830,000 in private investments; (3) $72,000 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project 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; (4) $1,304,320 in one Public Works project to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 129 jobs and leverage $24,000,000 in private investment; and (5) $210,000 in one Partnership Planning project to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

$294,746 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Project, matched by $73,687 in local investment, as follows:
- $294,746, matched by $73,687 in local investment, to the International Economic Development Council, Washington, DC, to support the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) with establishing a program to focus on Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Tourism Recovery, Economic Diversification, and Workforce Development in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The islands are economically dependent on the predominant tourism industry and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused disruptions that resulted in changes to travel or other access to the islands. The CNMI small businesses also face challenges related to capital access, market-entry, workforce retention, and technological barriers. The program will help enhance local capacity to support economic recovery and resilience through customized training opportunities for economic development professionals and community leaders and organizes much-needed support for projects that promote economic recovery and resilience goals. Once completed, the project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, support entrepreneurism, spur jobs creation, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the islands.
$8,504,966 in 14 American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $2,165,900 in local investments, as follows:
- Nine Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $3,228,706 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.
  - $439,723, matched by $147,804 in local investment, to the Albemarle Commission/North Carolina Rural Center, Hertford/Perquimans County, North Carolina, to support the development of customized broadband implementation plans for each of the ten counties of northeastern North Carolina, to assist local leaders and broadband providers in determining the best way to serve more businesses and residents in the region. The project will help each county make important internet connections available to link residents of the region, including students, senior citizens, and businesses, to adequate internet, which will successfully connect the entire Albemarle Region. Once completed, the project will fill gaps in the ten-county region where broadband is currently unavailable and connect historically underserved populations throughout the area to the digital ways of life. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 170 jobs, save 150 jobs, and leverage $16,000,000 in private investment.
  - $400,000, matched by $110,000 in local investment, to the Gulf Coast Economic Development district, Incl, Houston/Harris County, Texas, to support the hiring of a specialized consulting firm or team of consultants to study the region’s existing broadband needs, propose network and operational solutions, and develop an action plan for each of the 13 counties in the region for funding and implementation. The Houston-Galveston Regional Broadband Market Study and Action Plan will determine the need for greater investments in a tech-enabled workforce to help the region become prepared for a future increasingly reliant on rapid adaptation to emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, higher skilled hardware or software manufacturing, or the integration of these types of innovations into large institutions and industry sectors. The region’s high-speed internet and telecommunications infrastructure is the critical, enabling underlying infrastructure for supporting a 21st Century workforce and innovation driven economy. With these investments, residents, businesses, and organizations in all 13 counties will have the opportunities to engage in and benefit from technology-forward economic growth. Once completed, the project will help the region overcome the lack of adequate, reliable broadband service to help diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
  - $400,000, matched by $100,031 in local investment, to the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi/Nueces County, Texas, to support the University’s “Communities as Start-Ups” project, which aims to drive economic development and longer-term economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as develop resilience to natural disasters or other economic disruptions in the communities. The project will help communities in Texas and Louisiana develop, enhance, and scale-up a framework for entrepreneurial businesses to start up and grow. Once completed, the project will help stabilize and increase the working population and boost resiliency of the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 75 jobs, save 421 jobs, and leverage $2,500,000 in private investment.
  - $400,000, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to the Mount Sterling/Montgomery County Industrial Authority, Mount Sterling/Montgomery County, Kentucky, to support the creation of an in-depth comprehensive community and economic development plan to develop long-term strategies that will steer housing, recreation, infrastructure, tourism, workforce, and economic development in Montgomery County, Kentucky. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant downturns in portions of the community and economy of Montgomery County leading to unfilled job openings, limited housing availability, and slowed or ceased business expansion. The plan will develop community branding and marketing tools, including website development and ideas for lead generation and business recruitment to implement a collective vision for economic recovery and to identify goals, develop strategies, and action plans to guide community and economic development. Once completed, the project will help the region outline outreach, communication, and marketing efforts to assist local business expansions and recruitment of new businesses to the community.
  - $400,000, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to the East Central Regional Development Commission, Mora/Kanabec County, Minnesota, to support the establishment of a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Counties of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine in Minnesota. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses will be able to expand their services and entrepreneurs will be able to provide new services that were identified during the pandemic. This support of the business community will provide a substantial measure of economic relief and will help to stimulate recovery from pandemic-induced economic injury across the service area, which will support economic resiliency, further the long-term economic adjustment objectives, create and retain jobs, and attract private investments. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs, save 50 jobs, and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.
  - $400,000, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission, Wilmar/Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, to support the establishment of a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Counties of Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville in Minnesota. The COVID-19 pandemic and a local coal-plant closure devastated businesses in region, leading to severe job losses and disinvestment. Additionally, workers displaced by the pandemic and coal-plant closure have increasingly turned to entrepreneurship. The RLF will provide the region’s small businesses with a critical source of capital to help them recover from losses in the ongoing pandemic and be more resilient to future economic shocks, which will support economic resiliency, further the long-term economic adjustment objectives, create and retain jobs, and attract private investments. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs and leverage $1,000,000 in private investment.
  - $311,500, matched by $78,000 in local investment, to the Upper Coastal Planning Council of Governments (COG)/Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments/Triangle J Council of Governments, Wilson/Wilson County, North Carolina, to support the establishment of the Tri-COG Food Ecosystem Economic Development Strategy, a multi-organizational project supporting local food coalitions across North Carolina. In addition, the project will provide resources to study and develop a regional food system to address agriculture supply chain gaps augmented during COVID-19. The plan will ensure the development of a sustainable and equitable food system that allows new farms and food businesses to be created and expanded, allowing the region’s communities to remain resilient in times of both crisis and prosperity.
  - $264,000, matched by $66,000 in local investment, to the Vance-Granville Community College, Henderson/Vance County (Project: Henderson/Franklin County), North Carolina, to support the Vance-Granville Community College with providing technical assistance support for the development of a need’s assessment and architectural design concept for a new facility to be constructed on the Vance-Granville Community College Workforce and Advanced Technical Training Center in Louisburg, North Carolina. The new infrastructure will facilitate 21st century education and workforce training. In addition, the facility will encompass flex space spaces, adaptable technology necessary to address new training realities after COVID-19. Once completed, the project will increase employment, meet industry employment demands, and increase tax revenue within the service area for individuals interested in a new career, retraining, upskilling, or individuals marginalized throughout the employment and educational process.
  - $213,483, matched by $75,000 in local investment, to Valley Vision, Inc., Sacramento/Sacramento County, California, to support the creation of a Broadband Master Plan in the four counties of Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba, which has experienced a significant loss of jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic because of insufficient access to opportunities due to a lack of internet access. The plan will provide a baseline analysis of business broadband internet infrastructure and services, gap/needs analysis, and multi-stakeholder broadband master strategy, to allow the region of the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium (CCABC) to leverage the area's industry clusters by expanding access to a cleaner and more resilient innovation economy with high road jobs. These improvements will allow existing businesses to stay competitive while creating opportunities for higher paying jobs and expanding the labor workforce. In addition, the plan will provide a roadmap to help improve the reliability and resilience of the region’s broadband service in the face of future natural disasters and other disruptions, which will strengthen the regional economy.
- Two Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $632,000 to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
  - $512,000, matched by $128,000 in local investment, to the Upper Cumberland Development District, Cookeville/Putnam County, Tennessee, to fund the hiring of two Regional Recovery Coordinators to implement COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts and resiliency in commercial and industrial sectors throughout the fourteen counties within the Upper Cumberland region. The coordinators will help plan, support, and assist in recovery of communities that have been economically impacted by the pandemic by providing technical assistance to support the Upper Cumberland Development District with providing future economic planning for the region. Once completed, the project will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy and advance economic resiliency in an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry.
  - $120,000, with no local match, to the Cocke County Partnership, Inc., Newport/Cocke County, Tennessee, to support the development of a countywide economic development plan to accommodate existing industries, encourage collaborative partnerships that support future growth, and leverage existing assets in Newport, Tennessee. 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. The industries of healthcare, retail, manufacturing, food service, and accommodations that provide most employment in the county were some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Unemployment in these industries has had a major ripple effect on the entire economy in the county. Once completed, the project will 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.
- Three Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Projects for $4,644,260 to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
  - $3,960,000, matched by $990,000 in local investment, to the City of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz County, California, to support the construction of a single story 5,360sq.ft. performance and dance building within the Tannery Arts Center, located in the city of Santa Cruz. The COVID-19 pandemic has touched on nearly all employment sectors in the Tourism industry, including the Arts and Entertainment. Through this project, the city will help the long-term recovery of the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors, while also attracting additional visitors to the region during off-season tourism months. These aims will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs, save 70 jobs, and leverage $1,300,000 in private investment.
  - $400,000, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to the Street Food Institute, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to support the establishment of a program, Survive to Thrive: New Mexico Food Business Success During COVID-19, to support new and existing food businesses as they recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic. New Mexico’s hospitality industry has been devastated by the pandemic and the impacts have forced hundreds of food businesses to close permanently throughout the region. The program will provide direct assistance to business owners and workers directly impacted by the downturn in these industries by helping restaurant entrepreneurs create new strategies to become more resilient in the event of future disruptions. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs.
  - $284,260, matched by $71,065 in local investment, to the Triangle J Council of Governments/Alamance County/Chatham County, Durham/Durham County, North Carolina, to support Triangle J Council of Governments with conducting a corridor feasibility and economic impact analysis to determine how to best leverage the Haw River to drive economic recovery within the travel and tourism sectors and facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Durham, North Carolina. Additionally, the analysis will identify ways to capitalize on gaps and expand economic and community development opportunities, to help enhance economic impact and reestablish tourism as the number one economic driver in the area. Once completed, the project will assist in the region's recovery and make it more resilient to fluctuations in tourism, which will help increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 15 jobs and leverage $30,000 in private investment.
$72,000 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, matched by $18,000 in local investment, as follows:
- $72,000, matched by $18,000 in local investment, to the Southwest Alaska Vocational and Educational Center, King Salmon/Bristol Bay County, Alaska, to support a feasibility study to determine the preferred location for construction of their new building for use as a technical education and workforce training facility in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The new facility will provide training opportunities and credentials for residents to meet employer needs to recruit and maintain highly trained workforce in Bristol Bay, which will support the development of a high growth, sustainable industry. Once completed, the project will create jobs and provide long-term economic growth throughout the region.
$1,304,320 in one Public Works project, matched by $326,080 in local investment, as follows:
- $1,304,320, matched by $326,080 in local investment, to the City of Kings Mountain, Kings Mountain/Cleveland County, North Carolina, to support the City of Kings Mountain with improving critical wastewater needs in the city to benefit existing and future commercial and industrial users. The project will greatly improve and expand sewer capacity that is vital to the community by reducing the risk of businesses not being able to operate during and after natural disaster events. Once completed, the project will provide increased opportunity for the region's workforce and support the creation of new jobs, which will advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 129 jobs and leverage $24,000,000 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.