May 20 - 25, 2022

EDA announced 15 investments from May 20-25, 2022, totaling $30,388,449, which is matched by $13,001,595 in local investments. These investments include the following: (1) 25,047,703 in nine 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 eight projects for $23,251,598 that will help create 1,771 jobs, save 426 jobs, and leverage $120,560,000 in private investments; (2) $2,853,790 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 $2,798,790 that will help create 251 jobs, save 546 jobs, and leverage $75,200,000 in private investments; and (3) $2,486,956 in two Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure that will help create 83 jobs, save 812 jobs, and leverage $13,000,000 in private investments.

• $25,047,703 in nine American Rescue Plan projects, matched by $10,678,758 in local investments, as follows:
  • Six Economic Adjustment Assistance Projects for $12,191,703, matched by $6,899,758 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.
    • $2,814,798, matched by $703,700 in local investment, to the Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation, Yadkinville/Yadkin County, North Carolina, to support the installation of a fiber optic cable network to serve the business corridor in Yadkin County, North Carolina. The coronavirus pandemic revealed the county'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 businesses and industries within Yadkin County to recover from economic injury and dislocation as a result of coronavirus, and weather future pandemics and crises with resilient infrastructure, which will strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 7 jobs, save 25 jobs, and leverage $160,000 in private investment.
    • $2,580,800, matched by $645,200 in local investment, to the Griffiss Local Development Corporation, Rome/Oneida County, New York, to support the decommissioning of centralized steam heating equipment and the installation of natural gas fired boilers in seven commercial office buildings at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, New York. The project will help address the pressing need to replace the existing central steam system, which is a legacy Air Force installation that has far exceeded its useful life and is increasingly more expensive to maintain, threatening the long-term viability of affordable lease terms to meet the demands of the businesses in the area. This upgrade will provide added value and service to existing office tenants and help Griffiss Local Development Corporation market this space to new or growing companies, creating additional jobs and economic activity at the park. Once completed, the project will contribute to the ecosystem of innovation, which will help boost emerging business opportunities in the area to advance economic resiliency and further economic diversification throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 30 jobs and leverage $200,000 in private investment.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $500,000 in local investment, to the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Regional Corporation, Groton/New London County, Connecticut, to capitalize a $2,500,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to lend to borrowers in the following geographic region: Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, City of Groton, Town of Groton, Borough of Jewett City, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington, Stonington Borough, Waterford, and Windham in the South Eastern Connecticut Region and Ashford, Brooklyn Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Sterling, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, and Woodstock in the Northeastern Connecticut Region in New London, Windham, and Tolland Counties in Connecticut. 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 16 jobs, save 50 jobs, and leverage $2,200,000 in private investment.
    • $1,796,105, matched by $449,027 in local investment, to the City of Covington, Covington/Kenton County, Kentucky, to support the creation of an infrastructure design for the redevelopment of a vacant complex in Kenton County, Kentucky. The project will support business development and create long-term employment opportunities by aiding the redevelopment of a 23-acre, vacant complex along the Ohio River. Once completed, the project will help the city sustain recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which will strengthen and diversify the regional economy and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
    • $1,500,000, matched by $2,352,277 in local investment, to the Andrews Economic Development Corporation, Andrews/Andrews County, Texas, to fund the Northwest Business Park Infrastructure Project, to focus on manufacturing and warehousing facilities in the city of Andrews and surrounding areas. The project will offer a unique commercial and industrial opportunity to diversify the regional economy. The project work includes extending and improving roads to commercial standards to accommodate traffic and constructing a wastewater and water line to expand capacity. Once completed, the project will help broaden the industrial base of the region, moving away from the oil and gas industry that is susceptible to energy downturns, which will help address the workforce needs in the region and serve as a catalyst for private investment and job creation. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs and leverage $70,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,500,000, matched by $2,249,554 in local investment, to the Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland, San Antonio/Bexar County, Texas, to support the construction of the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) designed to serve the special needs population in San Antonio, Texas. The 11,460 square foot building will house a minimum of five operating rooms and a minimum of ten recovery rooms, along with an installation of computerized tomography (CT) scan, X-ray, and ultrasound equipment. Once completed, the project will help improve access to healthcare in the area, which will strengthen and diversify the regional economy, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 630 jobs and leverage $30,000,000 in private investment.
  • Two Coal Communities Commitment Projects for $6,856,000, matched by $2,279,000 in local investments, to support coal-reliant communities’ expansion into new industry sectors and recovery from the pandemic.
    • $5,000,000, matched by $1,815,000 in local investment, to the City of Hazard, Hazard/Perry County, Kentucky, to support the construction of a new water treatment plant and ancillary infrastructure, to support industrial expansion in the Coal Fields Regional Industrial Park and other local business needs in Perry County, Kentucky. Perry County suffered tremendously from the decline in the coal industry in 2010. For decades, the region has depended on the production of coal and coal related industries. Many coal companies have either closed their operations or had major layoffs and the rippling effect has resulted in supply chains also closing permanently or drastically reducing their workforce. Once completed, the project will help the region address the significant loss of jobs caused by the decline in the coal industry and the coronavirus pandemic by enhancing job creation and retention in an area, which will advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 364 jobs, save 351 jobs, and leverage $13,000,000 in private investment.
    • $1,856,000, matched by $464,000 in local investment, to the Williston State College and TrainND Northwest, Williston/Williams County, North Dakota, to support the purchase of equipment needed to enhance and increase the capacity of Williston State College and TrainND Northwest's current Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Training Program and its national certification program for Crane Operators in Williston, North Dakota. These programs provide students with relevant and rigorous training, as well as hands-on experience, as they work toward entering or re-entering the workforce with appropriate licensure and industry-recognized credentials. The new equipment will allow the College to expand its training capacity and to incorporate technological advances into the curriculum that will better prepare participants with the most in-demand knowledge and skills for the future. Once completed, the project will assist a region highly impacted by recent negative impacts from downturns in the coal economy. In addition, the project will help boost emerging business opportunities in the area, which will help advance economic resiliency, attract private investment, and further economic diversification throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 549 jobs.
  • One Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Project for $6,000,000, matched by $1,500,000 in local investment, to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.
    • $6,000,000, matched by $1,500,000 in local investment, to the City of Atlantic City, Atlantic City/Atlantic County, New Jersey, to fund the Boardwalk Revitalization Project, to demolish and replace the existing structure of 1,200 feet of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The project work includes the engineering, construction, and construction management of the wooden way, which is in the center of the city and is highly visible and ideally located. The largest tourism attraction in Atlantic City and in New Jersey is the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk. The Boardwalk structure is now over 100 years old and replacing this aging infrastructure 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 125 jobs and leverage $5,000,000 in private investment.
• $2,853,790 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $1,281,140 in local investments, as follows:
  • $1,590,150 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $397,500 in local investment, to the University of Charleston, Charleston/Kanawha County, West Virginia, to support the University of Charleston with providing staffing, supplies, equipment, contractual and general operational assistance for the development of a Downtown Innovation Hub, to assist small businesses in the coal-impacted nine county region of Charleston, West Virginia. The project will help launch over 54 new companies in the area, which will increase capacity and attract private investment to an area that has been impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 95 jobs, save 195 jobs, and leverage $63,000,000 in private investment.
  • $708,640 in Assistance to Coal Communities, matched by $708,640 in local investment, to the Cambia-Somerset Authority, Johnstown/Cambria County, Pennsylvania, to support Cambria and Somerset Counties with repairing the shared sewage system, to include the installation of 2,300 LF of water line, roadway repairs and all associated work. The repairs will help prevent future failures to the line and allow for business stabilization and expansion in Pennsylvania. The project will help address the loss of employment resulting from the frequent failure of the existing waterline and the decline in business operations because of water accessibility issues in the area. These layoffs are, in addition to, numerous downsizing and closures caused by the transition of the coal community. Once completed, the project will help save jobs and create new job opportunities to boost economic development in an area that has been severely impacted by the decline in the coal industry. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 6 jobs and save 351 jobs.
  • $500,000, matched by $125,000 in local investment, to the Research Park Corporation, Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge County, Louisiana, to support the development of tech-based startups across Louisiana’s Capital Region, to help address the region’s lack of viable accelerator programs in the area. Through the Ignition Accelerator and Venture Capital Assistance Program, the project will help revive and nurture tech-based entrepreneurial programs and enable outreach to underserved communities and businesses. Startup businesses are key components to enhancing economic recovery particularly during post disasters and the project will support the planning, outreach, and technical assistance for tech-based ventures to successfully develop, which will assist with diversifying the local economy, bolstering job creation, attracting private investment, and promoting economic growth and resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 150 jobs and leverage $12,200,000 in private investment.
  • $55,000, matched by $50,000 in local investment, to the Copper Valley Development Association, Inc., Glennallen/Valdez Cordova County (Project: Glennallen/Copper River County), Alaska, to support the update and continued implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the Copper Valley Region in Alaska. The updated CEDS will require incorporating data from the 2020 Census, hosting sub-regional planning workshops, and visiting community organizations and other partners to gather community concerns. The result will allow for expanding commercial agriculture and farming opportunity, potential for a railroad connection, improved utilization of air cargo, and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 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, and the updated CEDS will allow the region to expand economic opportunity and create high-wage jobs for its' residents.
• $2,486,956 in two Public Works projects, matched by $1,041,697 in local investments, as follows:
  • $1,927,012, matched by $481,753 in local investment, to Ben Hill County, Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County, Georgia, to support the construction of street and drainage improvements to help the expansion of Modern Dispersions South, Inc. (MDSI), an existing industry in Fitzgerald, Georgia. The project will strengthen resiliency in the county by improving its transportation infrastructure to support the needs of MDSI while also addressing safety issues that have arisen since the opening of the new Ben Hill County High School on Ed Ward Road. The construction of a bypass road from Ed Ward Road to Perry House Road will route school traffic away from MDSI allowing the company to expand and to fully utilize its industrial campus. These improvements will serve as a catalyst for unprecedented regional economic growth, which will bolster job creation, increase private investment, and strengthen the regional economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs and leverage $13,000,000 in private investment.
  • $559,944, matched by $559,944 in local investment, to the Tillamook Bay Community College (TBCC), Tillamook/Tillamook County, Oregon, to support the establishment of the TBCC WRITE the Future Project, to provide capacity to serve the growing workforce needs in Manufacturing and Industrial Technology, Welding Technology, and Agricultural Technology in Tillamook, Oregon. The College will remodel a facility to provide two instructional classrooms, lab, office space, storage space for materials and equipment, and allow for expansion of programs in the future. Once completed, the project will help address the severe impacts of COVID-19 on the county by creating and retaining jobs, increasing private investment, and advancing economic resiliency throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 23 jobs and save 812 jobs.