Grant

September 20 - 24, 2021

EDA announced 35 investments from September 20-24, 2021, totaling $30,652,115, which is matched by $21,884,373 in local investments.  These investments include the following: (1) $7,613,701 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which includes three projects for $5,580,123 that will help create 150 jobs, save 75 jobs, and leverage $37,000,000 in private investments; (2) $12,034,571 in three 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 two projects for $7,662,216 that will help create 385 jobs; (3) $8,664,660 in three Public Works projects to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure, which includes two projects for $6,789,344 that will help create 937 jobs, save 614 jobs, and leverage $45,160,000 in private investments; (4) $165,791 in three Local Technical Assistance projects to strengthen the capacity of local or state organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective economic development programs; (5) $2,007,392 in 20 Technical Assistance University Center projects to make the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community; and (6) $166,000 in two Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.

  • $7,613,701 in four Economic Adjustment Assistance-COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Projects, matched by $2,766,826 in local investments, as follows:
    • $2,750,000, with no local match, to the Nevada Business Opportunity Fund, Las Vegas/Clark County, Nevada, to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RFL) to provide capital and technical assistance to minority and other underserved business owners in distressed areas of Clark County, Nevada.  The fund will provide $2,500,000 in funds for loans along with $250,000 in technical assistance and administrative funds to help alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, provide permanent resources to support economic resiliency, and further the long-term economic adjustment objectives of the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs and save 75 jobs.
    • $2,033,578, matched by $508,395 in local investment, to the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Hartford/Hartford County, Connecticut, to support the State of Connecticut's statewide long-term COVID-19 Pandemic economic recovery coordination, resiliency planning, and technical assistance across six regions in Connecticut and technical assistance to businesses located in designated Opportunity Zones throughout the area.  The project will also address the State’s current economic need by providing educational webinars to assist impacted businesses.  Once completed, the project will strengthen employment and business recovery efforts at the local, regional, and state levels, which will promote economic growth throughout the region.
    • $2,000,000, matched by $2,050,900 in local investment, to the City of Aberdeen, Aberdeen/Brown County, South Dakota, to support the City of Aberdeen with constructing a new 1-million-gallon water tower and waterline to existing infrastructure to aid in the expansion of local manufacturing facilities and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production in Brown County, South Dakota.  The project will increase the City’s water storage capacity, which will help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, increase higher paying jobs, support the manufacturing industry, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 100 jobs and leverage $35,000,000 in private investment.
    • $830,123, matched by $207,531 in local investment, to the Southeast Nebraska Development District, Lincoln/Lancaster County, Nebraska, to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to address the impacts of the current COVID-19 pandemic by providing capital financing to the surrounding communities of: Butler, Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Polk, Richardson, Saline, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, and York Counties in Nebraska.  The RLF will provide businesses access to working capital and financing options to support economic recovery and resiliency, which will promote business growth and development, increase private investment, bolster job creation, and diversify the regional economy.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 25 jobs and leverage $2,000,000 in private investment.
  • $12,034,571 in three Economic Adjustment Assistance projects, matched by $7.922,874 in local investments, as follows:
    • $6,000,000 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $6,000,000 in local investment, to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System, Saipan/Saipan County, Northern Mariana Islands, to support the construction of a building for use as a technical and career training facility on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.  The new facility will provide career and technical education opportunities for the youngest members of the region’s workforce.  The programs offered will increase the pool of skilled labor for the region’s employers.  Once completed, the project will help the region with recovery efforts from the Super Typhoon Yutu, support economic conditions that will lead to the creation of more higher skill employment opportunities and higher paying jobs, which will advance economic resiliency and strengthen the regional economy.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 85 jobs.
    • $4,372,355 in 2019 Disaster Supplemental funding, matched by $1,391,145 in local investment, to the City of Sheffield/Sheffield Utilities Board of Directors, Sheffield/Colbert County, Alabama, to support the construction of sanitary sewer enhancements along the Tennessee River in Colbert County, Alabama, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The project will assist the region with recovery efforts from the 2019 severe storms, straight line winds, tornadoes, and flooding events by renovating the City’s current sanitary sewer system to mitigate the effects of future natural disasters.  Once completed, the project will help the region create a more resilient community and assure continuity of businesses and residential operation, which will advance economic resiliency and strengthen the regional economy.
    • $1,662,216, matched by $531,729 in local investment, to the City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas/Clark County, Nevada, to fund the Advanced Connectivity for Community and Economic Development (ACCED) project for the City of Las Vegas’s Historic Westside neighborhood, the Corridor of Hope (home to social service facilities) and the Medical District, which has experienced significant impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The project will provide Wi-Fi internet access to individuals living in low-income areas to assist with education, employment, and job training to connect to these services from home at no charge.  Once implemented, the project will create jobs, improve business retention, enable business expansion, and increase business attraction opportunities, which will help advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 385 jobs.
  • $8,664,660 in three Public Works projects, matched by $11,367,958 in local investments, as follows:
    • $4,039,344, matched by $6,725,958 in local investment, to the City of Detroit, Detroit/Wayne County, Michigan, to support the construction of road infrastructure to support increased production at a local automobile plant in Wayne County, Michigan, a designated Opportunity Zone.  The project will provide critical access roads to the plant and enhance direct access to the I-94 Industrial Corridor.  In addition to the automotive supply chain, this infrastructure will be an asset to the multitude of industrial manufacturers in the Detroit region, who rely on the Mt. Elliott Corridor and East Grand Boulevard for access to I-94.  Once completed, the project will create high-skill manufacturing jobs, increase private investment, and strengthen the regional economy.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 810 jobs, save 300 jobs, and leverage $45,000,000 in private investment.
    • $2,750,000, matched by $2,750,000 in local investment, to the Southwestern Oregon Community College, Coos Bay/Coos Bay County, Oregon, to support the renovation of college halls at the Southwestern Oregon Community College to help grow instruction in the Southwest Oregon occupations of Dental Assistance, Fire Science, Forestry/Natural Resources, Criminal Justice and Computer Science/Cybersecurity in Coos County, Oregon.  The project will provide more flexible learning spaces to support the five Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that will help boost regional workforce needs now and for decades to come.  Once completed, the project will benefit a nearby Opportunity Zone, revitalize the College’s CTE programs, help the region with recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic, create and retain jobs, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.  The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 127 jobs, save 314 jobs, and leverage $160,000 in private investment.
    • $1,875,316, matched by $1,892,000 in local investment, to the Town of Vinalhaven/Vinalhaven Water District/Maine Department of Transportation, Vinalhaven/Knox County, Maine, to support the Town of Vinalhaven with improving the flood resilience of its downtown commercial district in Knox County, Maine.  The project includes upgrading the stormwater management infrastructure, improving the deficient and vulnerable sewer and water utilities, and improving the pedestrian and vehicular transportation infrastructure.  In addition, the project will provide access to Main Street’s three public commercial fishing and recreational piers, six private commercial piers, and 52 businesses.  Once completed, the project will increase business growth and development, bolster job creation and retention, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region.
  • $165,791 in three Local Technical Assistance projects, matched by $41,446 in local investments, as follows:
    • $80,000, matched by $20,000 in local investment, to Ralls County, New London/Ralls County, Missouri, to fund the Mark Twain Lake Feasibility Study, to determine the strengths and weaknesses of building economic stability through tourism asset development opportunities constructed directly on Mark Twain Lake in New London, Missouri.  The County of Ralls will perform an economic feasibility study including a market demand analysis, and competitive analysis to include community engagement and findings presentations.   Once completed, the study will identify an opportunity to increase economic resiliency and stability in the area surrounding the lake, which will boost job creation and strengthen the local economy.
    • $60,000, matched by $15,000 in local investment, to the City of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau/Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, to provide the technical assistance necessary to do a feasibility study to develop strategies to best leverage publicly owned riverfront properties, including a new marina in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  The study will examine the growth and feasibility of potential dock size, assessment of potential marina sites, best use of adjoining publicly-owned properties, concept level cost estimates, market demand, current market saturation, rate structures, analysis of potential public-private partnerships, business plan outlining development costs, financing, implementation strategies, as well as direct and indirect economic impacts on the community and surrounding neighborhood from the development of the facility.  Once completed, the project will provide economic stability, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy.
    • $25,791, matched by $6,446 in local investment, to the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, to host a 2-day workshop and training conference for the 47 Economic Development Districts (EDDs) located in the 4-state region of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.  The training event will provide a setting for regional development professionals, local government officials and other key stakeholders involved with the EDDs to share best, promising, and noteworthy practices; discuss emerging industry trends; tour notable development projects; and engage in peer networking and information exchanges.  This investment will lead to the capitalization on new opportunities and creation of jobs throughout the 4-state region.
  • $2,007,392 in 20 Technical Assistance University Center projects, matched by $2,402,095 in local investments, to support the first year of a five-year University Center program, which is a competitively-based partnership between EDA and academic institutions that makes the varied and vast resources of universities available to the economic development practitioner community.
  • $166,000 in two Partnership Planning projects, matched by $150,000 in local investments, 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.

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