Grant

October 5 - 12, 2017

  • $13,131,250 in six Public Works projects as follows:
    • $3.81 million to the City of Shelby, North Carolina, to fund the construction of water infrastructure to serve the Washburn Switch Business Park in Cleveland County, North Carolina. This investment will support the expansion of a paper manufacturing company, help the region’s efforts to diversify its economy, attract highly skilled workers and recruit manufacturing jobs more aligned with the advanced automation and technology to the area. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 180 jobs and leverage $330 million in private investment.
    • $2,511,393 to the Village of Leipsic and the Village of Gilboa, Ohio, to fund the construction of a new raw water intake structure, pump station and transmission main line for the Village of Leipsic’s water treatment plant in Putnam County, Ohio. This investment will support the development and growth of the region’s existing industry cluster to allow the Village to attract new industries to build on the area’s competitive strengths that will lead to private investment and job creation for the local economy. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 80 jobs, save 357 jobs, and leverage $400 million in private investment.
    • $2.5 million to the Cumberland County Improvement Authority, Millville, New Jersey, to assist in the construction of a new Food Industry Commercialization Center that provides needed flexible spaces for new food production companies to leverage technical assistance resources. The new multi-tenant facility will offer spaces for industrial food processing, shipping and administrative use. Completion of the project will provide regional capacity to grow and retain the food production cluster, foster job creation and leverage private investment. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 190 jobs and leverage $1.5 million in private investment.
    • $1,609,857 to the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri, to support the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation by renovating an industrial building in Kansas City, Missouri, to serve as an anchor and catalyst for creating a new small business incubator. The improvements will include a commercial kitchen, co-working space, conference rooms, and business assistance services that will provide hi-tech manufacturing industry training, which will lead to entrepreneurship opportunities for the community. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 90 jobs.
    • $1.4 million to the City of Hillsboro, Texas, to fund the construction of a water line and infrastructure to address water pressure and volume deficiencies that impact the North Industrial Park in Hillsboro. The improvements will help the industrial park expand significantly, attract new businesses to the park and allow existing business to grow, which will strengthen the local economy, support private capital investment and create jobs throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 240 jobs, save 265 jobs, and leverage $1 million in private investment.
    • $1.3 million to the Southwest Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority and the Clark County Industrial Council, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to fund the construction of a public transload facility with cross dock in Clark County. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority was established in May 2010 to develop a regional approach of developing intermodal facilities to attract and retain industrial businesses. The project has grown and expanded since its initial inception and requires the construction of additional infrastructure to attract and increase private investment, support innovation and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs and leverage $1.3 billion in private investment.
  • $30,378,392 in 35 Economic Adjustment Assistance projects under the 2017 Assistance to Coal Communities Initiative as follows:
    • $3 million to the Rochester Dam Regional Water Commission, Bowling Green, Kentucky, to fund the renovation of the Rochester Dam located on Green River in Kentucky. This investment will help to provide critical infrastructure repairs and installation of new components to the existing dam structure including signage and railings for public safety. Completion of the project will assist with job creation, retention of commercial business establishments and support future economic development in the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 1,370 jobs and leverage $54 million in private investment.
    • $2.5 million to the Randolph County Development Authority, Elkins, West Virginia, to fund the expansion of an existing manufacturing plant in Randolph County, West Virginia. The plant is one of the county’s largest employers and requires additional space to accommodate its growing manufacturing needs. Completion of the project will support the development and growth of the innovation cluster, create and retain jobs and promote initiatives that expand the competitiveness of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 111 jobs, save 60 jobs, and leverage $8.2 million in private investment.
    • $2,425,869 million to the Pikeville Medical Center, Inc., Pikeville, Kentucky, to fund the purchase of medical equipment to support the Heart Institute as part of the renovation of the existing Pikeville Medical Center hospital facilities. The project will assist multiple communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal through job creation, capital investment and re-employment opportunities. This renovation will also provide heart related healthcare that has been lacking in the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs and leverage $9.767 million in private investment.
    • $2,037,600 to the Perry County Port Authority, Tell City, Indiana, to fund the expansion of freight rail and public river port facilities in Perry and Spencer counties in southern Indiana, to improve capacity and efficiency to better serve the regions industries. The improvements will enhance the metals/transportation industrial cluster of the region, which will provide economic diversification, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 26 jobs, save 1,033 jobs, and leverage $49.2 million in private investment.
    • $2 million to the Youngstown State University and the County of Mahoning, Ohio, to fund the renovation and construction of the high bay advanced manufacturing training space for the proposed Youngstown State University Excellence Training Center in Youngstown. The project will create a space for advance manufacturing training, instructional as well as general use. The Center will train displaced and disadvantage workers on the most modern advanced manufacturing equipment available and support the need of highly skilled workers to local businesses. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 54 jobs, save 93 jobs, and leverage $14.49 million in private investment.
    • $1.7 million to UMWA Career Centers, Inc., Prosperity, Pennsylvania, to fund the renovation of the UMWA Career Centers training facility to support cybersecurity and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, and construction of a CDL training facility with outdoor training infrastructure and mobile classroom/office facilities in Greene County. The investment will support growing and emerging educational clusters, which will enhance workforce development to provide economic stability and strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 105 jobs.
    • $1.5 million to Rogers County, Claremore, Oklahoma, to fund water and sewer infrastructure improvements to accommodate a significant business prospect planning to locate a manufacturing facility in an industrial park in the town of Inola, Oklahoma. This investment will help the region diversify its economy, attract businesses to the area, boost new commercial and industrial development and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 250 jobs and leverage $360 million in private investments.
    • $1,478,100 to the Flatwoods Canoe Run Public Service District, Sutton, West Virginia, to support the replacement and extension of a water line and related infrastructure in Braxton County, West Virginia devastated by the downturn in the coal industry. The completion of this project will provide adequate water supply to local businesses in the area especially during an emergency, help retain jobs, attract new businesses to the area and promote initiatives that expand the competitiveness of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 164 jobs and leverage $50,000 in private investment.
    • $1,392,480 to the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority and the Mingo County Public Service District, Williamson, West Virginia, to fund construction of a waterline to provide water services to the new Twisted Gun Gap development and the Hatfield-McCoy trail system in Mingo County. Once completed, the project will serve as a catalyst for enhancing the region’s tourism cluster and for attracting new commercial and industrial development and job creation to the area. This investment will provide economic stability, diversification and strengthen the local economy. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 155 jobs, save 5 jobs, and leverage $7.5 million in private investment.
    • $1,116,675 to the Eatonton-Putnam Water and Sewer Authority, Eatonton, Georgia, to fund the construction of sewer improvements at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Facility to serve the Eatonton-Putnam County South Industrial Park, which will support the expansion of a manufactured housing business and future development in the park. This investment will bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs in the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 60 jobs.
    • $1 million to Gannon University, Erie, Pennsylvania, to support four regional universities designed to provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs and start-up businesses in the Lake Erie and Northwest Pennsylvania region. This project will also enhance Feed the Hunger Foundation’s ability to provide technical assistance to borrowers. The investment will help provide resources to connect displaced workers with services and equipment that can be used to further their innovation and entrepreneurial ideas into newly created businesses and jobs.
    • $839,966 to Hopkins County, Madisonville, Kentucky, to fund the renovation of the MadCity Makers existing entrepreneurial ecosystem to serve as a business incubator/ makerspace facility in Hopkins County. Renovations of the space will include infrastructure as well as structural and technological improvements to facilitate the Makerspace. The investment will bring together the public and private sectors to create and economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investments and create jobs.
    • $800,000 to FutureINDesign, Woods Cross, Utah, to support the start-up and operating costs for the Innovation and Opportunity Center in Price, Utah. FutureINDesign will oversee the operation of the facility offering technology, manufacturing and professional development skills training to meet Utah’s growing digital and advanced technology workforce needs. In addition, the Center will acquire workstations, computers, hardware, and advanced manufacturing equipment to provide office suites and working spaces to new employers, private and public partners, and clients. The investment will spur a competitive labor market in the area, which will provide economic stability, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 200 jobs and leverage $160,000 in private investment.
    • $787,500 to the Pike County Progress Partners, Inc., Petersburg, Indiana, to fund the construction of an Entrepreneurship and Technology Center in Pike County, including a regional maker space, co-working space and electrical certification and training facility designed to meet the advanced manufacturing needs of the area. This investment will bring together the public and private sectors to diversify the local economy and create and retain jobs throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 2 jobs, save 26 jobs, and leverage $650,000 in private investment.
    • $768,024 to the KBJ Economic Development Joint Powers Board, Buffalo, Wyoming, to support the renovation of an existing building to create a new operational space for a custom computer programming services business that is expanding operations to Johnson County, Wyoming. Renovations include creating new office and classroom spaces, bringing the building up to code, addressing access requirements and improving public safety. This investment will foster economic development, diversify the local economy, and create jobs in the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 75 jobs and leverage $350,000 in private investment.
    • $767,442 to Pierpont Community and Technical College, Fairmont, West Virginia, to fund the purchase of training equipment and provide staffing to support the expansion of the Aviation Program, at the Robert C. Byrd Aerospace Center, operated by the Pierpont Community and Technical College in Marion County. Completion of the project will increase staff and upgrade the equipment to current industry standards to double the graduating classes from the college and provide highly-skilled workers to the recently announced Bombardier expansion project. This investment will provide economic diversification, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 150 jobs and leverage $8 million in private investment.
    • $760,025 to the Telluride Foundation, Telluride, Colorado, to fund the purchase of fiber strands in order to complete infrastructure required to deliver broadband services to communities in San Miguel County. This investment will support a rural region of the state to become more diversified and resilient, improve accessibility and competitiveness of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 7 jobs and leverage $355,000 in private investment.
    • $750,000 to the Center for Applied Research and Technology, Bluefield, West Virginia, to fund technical assistance to the new Bluefield Commercialization Station in Mercer County. This investment will provide high-tech industrial technical services and an incubator that will foster new business creation in the region. In addition, the funds will help to expand the production line of existing businesses, diversify the local economy, and create and retain jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 36 jobs, save 36 jobs, and leverage $250,000 in private investment.
    • $747,123 to West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, to fund the development of the West Virginia University LaunchLab Network to facilitate small business development and foster economic growth in Morgantown. The LaunchLab will provide students, local residents and small business owners with the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and products that are not available in the traditional curriculum. The grantee estimates that this investment will leverage $750,000 in private investment.
    • $680,000 to the Technical College of the Rockies, Delta, Colorado, to provide entrepreneurial support to help launch new value-added food manufacturing, agriculture related businesses and other industries in Montrose County. This investment will foster economic development, diversify the local economy, and enhance the existing agriculture, education, and energy micro-clusters in the region through job driven skill development. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 44 jobs and leverage $700,000 in private investment.
    • $550,000 to the Town of Somerset, Massachusetts, to fund the development of an integrated Water Resource Management Plan and the establishment of a Wastewater District in Somerset. This investment will facilitate critical planning support to allow infrastructure upgrades to the existing wastewater treatment facility following the closure of a coal-fired generation plant. Completion of the project will provide economic development opportunities that will diversify the region’s economy and strengthen existing and emerging industries.
    • $510,000 to the Catalyst Connection, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to support the construction of a Maker-to-Commercialization Center, which will integrate and expand entrepreneurial services and resources in the Southwest Pennsylvania region. The center will ensure that commercial support to the region is well integrated with workforce development and job creation. This investment will bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy by addressing the needs of the coal-impacted communities. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 800 jobs and leverage $10 million in private investment.
    • $400,000 to the West Virginia Coalition for Technology Based Economic Development, South Charleston, West Virginia, to support new programs to assist with the development of high-tech positions in the West Virginia region. The Tech Assist program will provide next-stage development guidance to a network of entrepreneurs and new businesses in the area. This investment will provide needed economic stability, development of high-tech positions and companies through a coordinated approach of services by the existing incubator/accelerator system, and the development of a larger regional private investment consortium that will ensure business and job sustainability into the future. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 22 jobs, save 50 jobs, and leverage $1 million in private investment.
    • $397,665 to the Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama, to fund the renovation of the Southern Research Institute’s Cancer Cause and Prevention Facility in Jefferson County. This investment will allow the cancer facility to upgrade the buildings infrastructure to comply with industry code and improve environmental and energy efficiency. Completion of the project will expand and strengthen the medical and bio-tech cluster in the region, help diversify the local economy and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 17 jobs.
    • $300,000 to the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle, Weirton, West Virginia, to fund the creation of a Weirton Area Reuse Plan for repurposing, redeveloping, upgrading infrastructure, and attracting new investment to a former steel facility and underutilized industrial land in Hancock County. This reuse plan will provide strategic recommendations for pursuing manufacturing, infrastructure improvements and community revitalization initiatives to support the transformation of Weirton and the Northern Panhandle region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 500 jobs and leverage $50 million in private investments.
    • $227,927 to Hopkins County, Madisonville, Kentucky, to fund the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in West-Central Kentucky that is able to create spin off and other companies off traditional blue collar employment to new sectors. This will help the economy mitigate the loss of coal jobs.
    • $154,016 to the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona, to fund the creation of a commercial plan to mitigate the closure of a coal-fired power plant in Page, Arizona, which is located on the Navajo Reservation. The project will allow the community to have enough information to make strategic decisions to help diversity their economy.
    • $137,000 to the Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi Village, Arizona, to fund the preparation of an economic analytical study to assess opportunities in industries not dependent upon coal mining. The completion of the project will develop information that will be used to diversify the economy and create employment opportunities for the region’s workforce.
    • $128,805 to the Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation, Flagstaff, Arizona, to fund the development of a business incubator program to mitigate the adverse effects of the pending closure of a coal mine in Coconino County. The project will include preparation of a feasibility study and financial projections, development of an operations and maintenance plan, and creation of investment policy statements. Completion of the program will foster a more diverse economy and create employment opportunities for the region’s workforce.
    • $104,265 to Navajo County, Holbrook, Arizona, to fund the preparation of an economic assessment and recovery strategy for a region impacted by the closure of a coal mine in Navajo County, Arizona. The project will include the assessment of the potential adverse impacts to changes in the regional energy industry, recommendation of priorities and next steps to develop a more resilient and diverse economy, implementation of a marketing plan, development of a funding plan, and identification of occupations and career paths in industries other than coal.
    • $100,000 to the Industrial Park at TransAlta, Centralia, Washington, to support the analysis of land holdings to assess their compatibility with available economic opportunities and the interests of business firms that are candidates for location to the region in Centralia. Project work activities include preparation of a strategic plan, feasibility study, and marketing plan. Once completed, the project will help the region diversify its economy, attract businesses to the area, boost new commercial and industrial development and create jobs.
    • $99,999 to Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, to support preparation of a plan to transition from energy production based on coal to renewable energy in Page, Arizona, which is located on the Navajo Reservation. Project work activities include outreach and education on the benefits of renewable energy improvements, development of a workforce training plan, and completion of a multi-attribute utility analysis. Once completed, this project will contribute to the diversification of the regional economy from dependence on coal, which will lead to job creation in sustainable industries.
    • $77,700 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to fund the development of a strategy to leverage Pennsylvania’s significant natural gas assets through direct engagement with stakeholders in the region. This investment will help to expand Pennsylvania's petrochemical and plastics industries by utilizing six regional public-private partnerships based upon the Next Generation Sector Partnerships model. The strategy will identify opportunities to strengthen and grow the plastic industry, broaden the supply chain, and identify areas to engage in product development and distribution.
    • $70,211 to Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, to fund the Social Return on Investment Methodology Development and Feasibility Study for Rural Appalachia. The study will identify ways to arrange components into an integrated toolkit and develop a standardized approach to measuring social return on investment. Once completed, the study will enhance capacity to help build a vibrant local economy that is built on regional assets and market-driven approaches to local social challenges, which will lead to economic resiliency and prosperity throughout the Appalachian region.
    • $70,000 to the Southeastern Montana Development Corporation, Colstrip, Montana, to fund the Colstrip Economic Diversification Strategy through collaboration with local stakeholders, to organize public workshops and events, develop key marketing components, and identify funding opportunities for projects and initiatives in Rosebud County. The investment will leverage existing industry expertise to drive development around coal, energy, and renewable technology, which will help retain jobs, attract new businesses to the area and promote initiatives that expand the competitiveness of the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 40 jobs and leverage $250,000 in private investment.
  • $3,891,896 million in three Economic Adjustment Assistance projects as follows:
    • $1,740,772 to Sampson Community College, Clinton, North Carolina, to fund the construction of an occupational training facility to train and enhance welding and metal fabrication skills in Sampson County. This investment will help strengthen the regional economy impacted by natural disasters, support disaster recovery of local businesses, provide economic diversification in advance manufacturing, including metal products to the nuclear power sector, create jobs, and contribute to a higher skilled workforce. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 50 jobs, save 24 jobs, and leverage $8.8 million in private investments.
    • $1,136,124 to the Develop Springfield Corporation, Springfield, Massachusetts, to fund the renovation of an existing building to construct a business accelerator facility in Springfield, Massachusetts. The project will consist of co-working space, individual offices with shared services in a collaborative space that supports entrepreneurial development opportunities. This investment will help the city address the region’s economic goals of fostering an environment where established, new, and growing businesses thrive. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 30 jobs and leverage $284,000 in private investment.
    • $1.015 million to the Feed the Hunger Foundation, Honolulu, Hawaii, to fund a second Revolving Loan Fund that will continue to provide loans to new and expanding small businesses to increase income, jobs, and wealth in distressed communities in the Hawaiian counties of Honolulu and Maui while expanding access to locally sourced, healthy food. This project will also enhance Feed the Hunger Foundation’s ability to provide technical assistance to borrowers. The investment will have immediate and long term impact on the state of Hawaii’s fragile food ecosystem, which will lead to expanding the agricultural job market and contributing to the development of a growing, self-sufficient food system. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 90 jobs, save 30 jobs, and leverage $4 million in private investment.