Grant

September 10 - 14, 2012

$4,000,000 to City of Flagstaff, Arizona to fund the construction of a phase II business incubator at the Northern Arizona Center for Emerging Technologies, which will, in conjunction with Northern Arizona University, provide business assistance services for Phase I graduates to accelerate the commercialization of their products. The facility will also serve an alternative emergency response center for first responders for the efficient delivery of services to communities and tribal nations during natural disasters. This EDA investment is part of a $7,762,500 project that creates 300 jobs and leverages $70 million in private investment.
$2,805,000 to Industrial Park at TransAlta East Lewis County Public Development Authority, Washington to fund the construction of road, and water and sewer infrastructure for the new Industrial Park at TransAlta. This project mitigates economic distress caused by flooding in the region as TransAlta sits above the flood plain, leading to increased resiliency and business expansion in the region. This EDA investment is part of a $3,803,000 project that minimizes economic dislocations resulting from a major disaster by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, or fostering disaster resiliency.
$1,000,000 to City of Cleveland, Georgia to construct core infrastructure to improve sewer capacity currently limiting business development in the city of Cleveland. The investment serves existing businesses and supports the expansion of the regional advanced manufacturing cluster. This EDA investment is part of a $3,298,680 project that creates 113 jobs, retains 175 jobs, and leverages $42 million in private investment.
$1,000,000 to Feed The Hunger Foundation, Hawaii to fund the establishment of a revolving loan fund in Honolulu. This project's focus is economic diversification with an emphasis on reducing dependency on imports while building resiliency to disasters. This EDA investment is part of a $1,250,000 project that creates 769 jobs and leverages $31 million in private investment.
$1,000,000 to Keshet Dance Company, New Mexico to fund the purchase of a facility and infrastructure improvements for the Keshet Ideas and Innovation Center in Albuquerque. The Center will operate a business incubator program focusing on the arts, health and wellness, and environmental industries, and with local partners, provide a comprehensive set of business assistance and development services to start-up and struggling businesses. This EDA investment is part of a $1,261,250 project that supports business development and assistance services leading to job creation.
$951,501 to Joint Development Authority of Jeff Davis County, Hazlehurst, and Denton, Georgia to construct a railroad spur to leverage the region's natural resources and workforce to support alternative fuel production for export. The railroad spur will move raw materials and finished products into and out of the factory. All the wood pellets produced are used in European biomass energy power plants. This EDA investment is part of a $3,298,680 project that creates 100 jobs and leverages $91 million in private investment.
$750,000 to NextEnergy Center, Michigan to leverage the existing infrastructure at NextEnergy as well as commitments from other stakeholders to create an Innovation Center to accelerate commercialization of advanced energy technology in Southeast Michigan. Michigan's advanced energy cluster will benefit from the Center's testing platform for renewable energy and energy storage technology and the application of these technologies to the electrification of vehicles. This EDA investment is part of a $1,500,000 project that creates 250 jobs, and retains 75 jobs.
$640,000 to RESPOND, Inc., New Jersey to support the expansion of the RESPOND, Inc. Automotive Training Center in Camden. The expanded facility will provide entrepreneurial support and additional training opportunities in automotive diagnosis, repair, and customer relations. The Center will focus on assisting job seekers in obtaining the training they need to compete for entry level automotive opportunities, secure higher wage jobs, or start their own automotive repair businesses. This EDA investment is part of an $800,000 project that creates higher-wage job opportunities in the automotive industry for low skill job seekers.
$600,000 to Racine County Economic Development Corporation and City of Racine, Wisconsin to provide additional funding for an existing Revolving Loan Fund for gap financing to recruit, retain, and grow businesses in the city of Racine. The loans this investment enables will also assist with the redevelopment of vacant, urban industrial and commercial buildings. This EDA investment is part of a $1,200,000 project that continues business retention and growth initiatives in the area.
$500,000 to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the capacity to support disaster-impacted communities in their long term recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. This project will assist the Commonwealth, through its Recovery Resource Team, to develop and implement policies that will support regional growth, guide communities in Pennsylvania in their continuing economic recovery efforts, and create a more resilient economy to mitigate the impact of future disasters. This EDA investment minimizes economic dislocations resulting from a major disaster by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, or fostering disaster resiliency.
$458,750 to Kansas Wheat Commission to fund the purchase of equipment at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center in Manhattan. The project will boost the capabilities of Heartland Plan Innovations and the Wheat Genetics and Genomics Resources Center at Kansas State University to provide advanced plant breeding services and engage in public-private collaborative research and commercialization projects. This EDA investment is part of a $917,500 project that creates 50 biotechnology jobs and leverages $1,950,000 in private investment.
$300,000 to Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to fund the development of a state-wide long term economic recovery strategy for Vermont. In response to the devastating floods caused by Tropical Storm Irene, this strategy will assist the state to develop and implement policies that will support regional growth, guide communities in Vermont in their continuing economic recovery efforts, and create a more resilient economy to mitigate the impact of future disasters. This EDA investment is part of a $375,000 project that minimizes economic dislocations resulting from a major disaster by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, or fostering disaster resiliency.
$269,900 to International Economic Development Council and NADO Research Foundation, Washington, DC to support disaster resiliency capacity development for communities in the Southeast region. The study will identify communities that have suffered past natural disasters and requested assistance and work with local leadership directly to identify best practices for resiliency and mitigation actions. Other communities faced with preparing for or recovering from disasters will be able to benefit from the synthesis of these findings. This EDA investment is part of a $337,400 project that supports strategies and best practices for building disaster resilient communities.
$250,000 to New York State Department of Economic Development, dba Empire State Development to fund the development of a long term economic recovery strategy for Eastern and Central New York. In response to the devastating floods caused by Tropical Storm Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, this strategy will assist the state to develop and implement policies that will support regional growth, guide communities across a 37-county area in their continuing economic recovery efforts, and create a more resilient economy to mitigate the impact of future disasters. The project will not only focus on recovery from devastation but stimulating growth in agriculture and emerging technologies in the impacted regions. This EDA investment is part of a $325,000 project that minimizes economic dislocations resulting from a major disaster by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, or fostering disaster resiliency.
$190,884 to West Central Development Council, Illinois to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the West Central Development Council, which comprises the counties of Calhoun, Christian, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Shelby. 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. This EDA investment is part of a $381,768 project that establishes an economic development framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in the region.
$160,000 to Gateway Area Development District, Kentucky to fund a collaboratively-developed Economic Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Plan for Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, and Rowan counties to address the long-term disaster recovery needs for the region. This flexible and practical planned approach for economic recovery will be used by local businesses and governments to rebuild their local economies after a disaster. This EDA investment supports minimizing economic dislocations resulting from a major disaster by promoting job creation, supporting economic diversification, or fostering disaster resiliency.
$150,000 to Region Five Development Commission/Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to fund planning for a proposed Minnesota renewable energy proof of concept center. The University of Minnesota has committed to lead the research and testing and support the commercialization of promising new technologies. The plan will bring local and regional economic development organizations together to foster the state's renewable energy cluster. This EDA investment supports creation of a common vision for enhancing Minnesota's renewable energy cluster.
$147,447 to the City of Salinas, California to fund an analytical study of economic opportunities and develops a strategic plan to diversify the regional economy. Project work activities include identification of business enterprises in the financial services industry; establishment of a community supported leadership team that identifies technology-based businesses for the purpose of fostering regional innovation; creation of an economic development marketing strategy, and identification of facilities space for use by new business enterprises. This EDA investment is part of a $199,000 project that establishes an economic development framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in the region.
$120,000 to Mid Shore Regional Council, Maryland to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the Mid Shore Regional Council (MSRC), which is comprised of Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties. 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. As part of this project, MRSC will address the need for new collaborative entrepreneurship one-stop programs by overseeing the establishment of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center's network of co-working spaces throughout the region. This EDA investment is part of a $240,000 project that establishes an economic development framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in the region.
$100,000 to Heart of North Carolina MegaPark, Inc. to fund a feasibility study and a master site plan for the Heart of North Carolina MegaPark, a new industrial park in Montgomery and Moore counties at the developing US Interstate 73/74 corridor. The study will help define the region's future economic development efforts. This EDA investment is part of a $320,000 project that supports a plan for a 3,200 acre industrial park in Montgomery and Moore counties.