March 28 - 31, 2022

EDA announced 26 investments from March 28-31, 2022, totaling $30,539,219, which is matched by 11,333,164$ in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) $4,404,000 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes one project for $1,704,000 that will help create 75 jobs, save 150 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment; (2) $24,843,271 in 18 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 $16,375,354 that will help create 1,240 jobs, save 203 jobs, and leverage $186,631,967 in private investments; (3) $400,000 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) $34,448 in one Local Technical Assistance project to strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective economic development programs; and (5) $857,500 in four Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

• $4,404,000 in two Economic Adjustment Assistance COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Projects, matched by $726,000 in local investment, as follows:
  • $2,700,000, matched by $300,000 in local investment, to the Southwestern Intermediary Finance Team, Inc., to capitalize a $2,700,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Beaver, Beckham, Canadian, Carter, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garvin, Grady, Harper, Logan, Marshall, Pontotoc, Roger Mills, Stephens, Texas, Washita, Woods, and Woodward counties. This EDA investment also provides $300,000 to defray the cost of administering the RLF. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to capital to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $1,704,000, matched by $426,000 in local investment, to the Northwest Central Indiana Community Partnerships, Inc., West Lafayette/Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to support the Northwest Central Indiana Community Partnerships, Inc., and Wabash Heartland Innovation Network with providing improved broadband access to the seven-county Northwest Central Indiana region. The project funds the purchase of equipment to be part of a system of inflatable aerostats, such as blimps and hot-air balloons, providing cost-effective and reliable broadband service to the region. As part of the region’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, providing broadband connectivity to improve medical and educational services delivery within the region will help make the region more resilient in the face of future economic shocks. In addition, the region’s critical agricultural cluster increasingly relies on broadband to utilize the cutting-edge technologies required for 21st century farm operations. Once completed, the project will help the region overcome the lack of adequate, reliable broadband service to help diversify and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 75 jobs, save 150 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
• $24,843,271 in 18 American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $9,755,217 in local investments, as follows:
  • 11 Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $13,591,290 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.
    • $3,617,280, matched by $904,320 in local investment, to Community Solutions International, Inc., New York/New York County, New York (Project: Hartford/Hartford County, Connecticut), to support the renovation of the Swift Factory’s small business and kitchen incubator facility located within North Hartford, Connecticut. The project will support creation of workforce training and business expansion space that will provide valuable skills training career readiness and direct job placement services for residents residing within North Hartford. The city has been impacted by the downturn of the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic and has suffered significant job losses over the last decade. The project will address the pressing need of the region by providing small business assistance, business incubation, workforce, and training resources in the heart of the community where the residents rarely access these resources due to difficulty of access, cultural barriers, and lack of sufficient engagement of the community. Once completed, the project will provide a one- stop comprehensive workforce development, skills training, job placement, and learning center, which will boost economic stability, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 45 jobs, save 70 jobs, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,720,320, matched by $430,080 in local investment, to the City of Tahlequah/Tahlequah Public Works Authority, Tahlequah/Cherokee County, Oklahoma, to support the City of Tahlequah with building a fiber optic network to serve the city's business corridor. The coronavirus pandemic revealed the city's limited broadband market was not sufficient to meet the needs of its residents and businesses and the need for broadband connectivity. This project will allow for the creation of a telecommunications and data system to facilitate telework, e-commerce, and telemedicine options for the city's local businesses. Not only will this project have an immediate economic development impact on Tahlequah, but it will also aid in the event of similar economic disruptions by diversifying its economy through a broadband network that will allow for technology-based business and telework opportunities. In addition, this project will help increase commercial and industrial activity locally, enable access to education services, and improve the quality of life to individuals via telehealth and other similar services throughout the region.
    • $1,600,000, matched by $400,000 in local investment, to the Rockford Local Development Corporation, Rockford/Winnebago County, Illinois, to capitalize a $2,000,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Boone, McHenry, and Winnebago counties in Illinois. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to capital to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs, save 25 jobs, and leverage $6,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,600,000, matched by $400,000 in local investment, to the CCD Business Development Corporation, Roseburg/Douglas County, Oregon, to provide technical assistance and capitalize a $2,000,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties in southwestern Oregon. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to capital to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 15 jobs and save 16 jobs.
    • $992,586, matched by $250,000 in local investment, to the Shiretown Development Corporation, Houlton/Aroostook County, Maine, to support the construction of a 12,000 SF pre-engineered steel industrial building and related appurtenances, to support the expansion of Tiny Homes of Maine and the manufacturing of “tiny homes” and commercial mobile units in Houlton, Maine. Houlton is a community on the Canadian border that has been significantly impacted by the closure of the U.S.-Canadian border for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The project will address the economic conditions of the region by providing good paying manufacturing jobs with benefits, increase per capita income, increase average wage per job, and help recover lost population, which will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 31 jobs, save 9 jobs, and leverage $486,967 in private investment.
    • $800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Platteville/Grant County, Wisconsin, to capitalize a $1,000,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland counties in Wisconsin. Once implemented, the RLF will provide access to capital to help small businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which will promote job creation and retention, attract private investment, and bolster economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the International Economic Development Council, Washington, DC, to provide technical assistance via a team of staff and economic development professionals to either implement or complete an economic recovery plan, with the emphasis on implementation. The plan will identify where the local community’s economy is most vulnerable and then prioritize needs and strategies to spur economic recoveries in the Alabama region. Strategies may include business retention, expansion, and attraction; entrepreneurial and small business development; land and planning and real estate redevelopment; neighborhood commercial revitalization; workforce development; technology-led development; strategic planning for economic recovery; economic recovery program development; economic diversification strategies; and export and supply chain strategies. Once completed, the project will provide tools for sustaining recovery to help strengthen and diversify the regional economy, which will attract private investment, create jobs, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $800,000, matched by $200,000 in local investment, to the University of New Mexico Rainforest Innovations, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to support training, mentoring, and strategy development for entrepreneurship growth to mitigate barriers that have prevented tribal entrepreneurs from starting and growing strong resilient businesses that promote a thriving economy for the reservations and New Mexico. The program will provide the tribal regions the ability to recover from the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic as well as provide economic diversification needed from the downturn in the coal economy. Once completed, the project will lead to direct jobs for the tribal community, which will help spur private investment and advance resiliency throughout the region.
    • $786,104, matched by $196,526 in local investment, to the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., Atlanta/Fulton County, Georgia, to support the creation of the first BeltLine Business Solutions Office with a focus on local small business retention and expansion in Atlanta, Georgia. The coronavirus crisis exposed economic inequities across the world and amplified an urgent need for inclusive economic growth, and transformative regional projects like the BeltLine must go beyond physical infrastructure and deliver opportunities that lift entire communities. The project will deliver tailored solutions to local small businesses seeking to expand in BeltLine equity target areas with a prioritization on businesses owned by women and minorities. Once completed, the project will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy, which will attract private investment, create jobs, and support secondary business development throughout the region.
    • $500,000, matched by $125,000 in local investment, to Idea Village, New Orleans/New Orleans County, Louisiana, to support the development of a pipeline of startup activity from across the region and position New Orleans, particularly opportunity zones in downtown New Orleans, as a hub for innovation. The project will help empower founders from diverse backgrounds, to build technology-based businesses in a way that helps the local economy recover more quickly from the coronavirus pandemic and from natural disasters such as Hurricane Ida, to build a more resilient economy for the long term. Once completed, the project will diversify the local economy, promote economic sustainability, expand job opportunities, and promote growth throughout the region.
    • $375,000, matched by $375,000 in local investment, to the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, Inc., to support the establishment of the Selling to the World initiative to bring growth and prosperity to businesses, communities, and neighborhoods in Greater Philadelphia through global trade and investment. The project focuses on restoring and expanding growth for existing exporters and increasing opportunities for new exporters in the region. Once implemented, the project will attract new industries, create jobs, increase global competitiveness, and promote economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 777 jobs.
  • Four Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $5,737,924 to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
    • $2,560,000, matched by $640,000 in local investment, to the Bedford County Development Authority, Bedford/Bedford County (Project: Alum Bank/Bedford County), Pennsylvania, to support the development of a new 24,000-square foot, multi-tenant building at Bedford County Business Park I, to support manufacturing businesses in Pennsylvania. The decline in production and supply chain activities related to manufacturing and mining has significantly impacted the region and caused a severe increase in job losses for people who do not have the necessary skills for positions outside of the coal industry. The project will provide supplies to the coal industry, which will create job opportunities, attract private investment, and advance economic resiliency to strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 46 jobs and save 36 jobs.
    • $1,500,000, matched by $2,385,620 in local investment, to the City of Bristol, Bristol/Sullivan County, Tennessee, to fund infrastructure improvements at the City of Bristol’s Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrades will increase the capacity of the plant to serve USAntibiotics, and new industries locating within the city. Since the CSX rail yard closure that occurred in Erwin, Tennessee, over 300 employees lost their jobs and the significant lost in the manufacturing sector during the coronavirus pandemic has impacted many high skilled and high paying jobs for the region. The rail yard had been an important part of the regional economy for more than 100 years. Once completed, the project will create job opportunities, attract private investment, 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 125 jobs and leverage $165,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,160,000, matched by $290,000 in local investment, to Juniata College, Huntingdon/Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, to support renovation of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Juniata College to provide new office space for several local businesses in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The potential new occupants have the capacity to serve the health and education of the local community, which will help drive the economy of a region dependent upon manufacturing and mining activities. Once completed, the project will create and retain local jobs, attract private investment, 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 8 jobs, save 17 jobs, and leverage $145,000 in private investment.
    • $517,924, matched by $129,618 in local investment, to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina, to support Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation with developing strategies to promote travel and tourism within neighboring communities and towns and facilitate economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The project will provide resources and strategies to determine methods for better leveraging the Blue Ridge Parkway to connect and attract visitors to communities across the region to stimulate greater economic viability. 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 $5,514,057 to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $3,263,569, matched by $2,066,431 in local investment, to the City of Gaffney/Cherokee County, Gaffney/Cherokee County, South Carolina, to support the City of Gaffney with transforming the former Carnegie Free Library into a Revolutionary War Discovery Center to highlight the city and region’s contributions to the American Revolution. The Center will tie together existing Revolutionary War sites in Cherokee County. The existing sites draw visitors from all along the Overmountain Victory Trail including Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia as well as international tourists from England and Ireland. 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.
    • $2,170,488, matched by $542,622 in local investment, to the Pembina Gorge Foundation, Walhalla/Pembina County (Project: Walhalla/Cavalier County), North Dakota, to fund the Frost Fire Park Snowmaking Infrastructure Improvement and Expansion Project, to update infrastructure that will improve the quality and longevity of the winter sports activities in the park. The project will support Pembina Gorge Foundation with addressing the local and regional need for expanded and resilient tourism and outdoor recreation activities in the park. Once completed, the project will have direct economic impact on the park’s operations, particularly its winter sports season and other activities, which will drive and expand its business, increase employment opportunities, save jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 23 jobs.
    • $80,000, matched by $20,000 in local investment, to the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau, Warren/Trumbull County, Ohio, to fund the Trumbull County Regional Tourism Strategic Recovery Plan, which covers five cities, six villages, and 24 townships in Ohio. This plan will develop forward-looking short, medium, and long-term strategies in tourism development and encompass detailed initiatives to reinforce this area's tourism competitiveness and achieve more prosperity, stability, and sustainability throughout the region. 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.
• $400,000 in one Economic Adjustment Assistance project, matched by $100,000 in local investment, as follows:
  • $400,000, matched by $100,000 in local investment, to Saint Augustine’s University, Raleigh/Wake County, North Carolina, to support Saint Augustine’s University with conducting a comprehensive economic feasibility study of the historic St. Agnes Hospital and surrounding 10-acre site at the southwest corner of Saint Augustine's University campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. The project will help the university determine the best ways to leverage St. Agnes Hospital, to stimulate economic opportunity and increase local employment in the area. Once completed, the project will help stabilize and increase the working population and boost resiliency of the local economy.
• $34,448 in one Local Technical Assistance project, matched by $34,447 as follows:
  • $34,448, matched by $34,447 in local investment, to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Pittsfield/Berkshire County, Massachusetts, to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). It will enable the BRPC to coordinate a CEDS Committee, implement public involvement strategies, perform analysis on a range of economic indicators, develop a regional SWOT analysis, review priority projects for inclusion, and finalize a regional 2023-27 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.
• $857,500 in four Partnership Planning projects, matched by $717,500 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.