Grant

September 7 - 13, 2018

  • $959,557 in two Public Works projects as follows:
    • $500,000 to the Town of Huntland, Tennessee, to fund the construction of a municipal sewage system to adequately treat sewage that is needed to facilitate the expansion of a hardwood lumber manufacturer in the area. The investment will bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 21 jobs, save 76 jobs, and leverage $7 million in private investment.
    • $459,557 to the City of Talladega, Alabama, to fund the construction of sewer infrastructure to support operation of a new Southern pine lumber manufacturing plant. The project will include new gravity and main sewer lines, new manholes, and a pumping station to support the operation of a new Georgia-Pacific sawmill. The investment will bring together the public and private sectors to create economic development, strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 110 jobs and leverage $100 million in private investment.
  • $3,287,332 in 10 Economic Adjustment Assistance projects as follows:
    • $750,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funds to the City of Hinesville Development Authority and the Georgia State University, Liberty County, Georgia, to fund the establishment of a business incubator adjacent to the new county public library and within close proximity to the new Georgia Southern University - Liberty Campus. The incubator will focus on start-up companies engaged in computer system design, scientific research and development services, specialized computer and graphic design services and architectural, engineering and related services. The investment will bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
    • $616,758 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Bedford County Chamber Foundation, Alum Bank, Pennsylvania, to fund the Russell House Business and Education Center project, which includes the renovation of a historic landmark in Bedford, Pennsylvania and its re-purposing into a facility to assist with an increased demand for entrepreneurial space in the area. The new facility will serve as a business incubator by providing office space to entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit organizations, and students of the Bedford County region, which will expand the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and lead to the creation of higher paying jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 30 jobs.
    • $463,000 to the Town of Fairfax, Vermont, to fund extension of municipal water and wastewater access to a multi-tenant industrial/commercial building in Franklin county, Vermont. The project will include installation of a water main, valves, hydrants and other appurtenances to complete the water access design. Completion of the project will also provide future opportunities for additional parcels to access water and wastewater services. The investment will diversify the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 189 jobs and leverage $3 million in private investment.
    • $452,500 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Woodlands Development Corporation, Elkins, West Virginia, to support technical assistance to small and medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the Monongahela National Forest region in Randolph county, West Virginia. The proposed project scope will provide case management and specialty one-on-one technical assistance, as well as group training to small and mid-size, growth-focused and start-up businesses with the ability to create/retain jobs. A regional market demand analysis will also be completed to identify investment opportunities to improve recreational access and opportunities. The investment will diversify the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 329 jobs, save 203 jobs, and leverage $6 million in private investment.
    • $300,000 to the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District 529, Olney, Illinois, to fund upgrades to the workforce training facilities at three campus locations within the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) district. The enhancements will take place at the IECCs West Richland Center in Noble, the Olney Central College in Olney and Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel. The improvements will include new infrastructure and equipment to expand and modernize the programs. This project helps to address the region’s workforce needs by providing advanced skills training and competencies needed by regional employers to support existing and expanding businesses. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 85 jobs.
    • $250,000 in Assistance to Coal Communities to the Region 4 PDC, Summersville, West Virginia, to support development of a comprehensive broadband service study to assist eleven counties in the heart of the coalfields of West Virginia and covers the geographic boundaries of both the Region IV and Region I Economic Development Districts. The study will include an overall needs analysis and compilation, a full listing of existing broadband providers including their respective service areas and capabilities, an overall map of broadband facilities and finally provide recommendations for the most cost effective and efficient broadband system, which will allow access to fully functional and affordable internet for the coal impacted regions in the state. The investment will help diversify the regional economy and create jobs.
    • $190,916 to the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, to support five Tribal Nations in Texas and Louisiana with building their economic development capacity by developing, adopting and implementing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plans. Once completed, the Tribal Nations will have a wide range of regional economic, social, demographic, and related data to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, create jobs and support private capital investment.
    • $112,858 to the City of St. Cloud, Minnesota, to support the City of St. Cloud with the hiring of an economic recovery coordinator to complete an analysis of the economic needs of the City after the closure of a local manufacturing plant. This investment will support efforts for quicker damage assessments, proactive measures and recovery efforts to help the City become more economically resilient in the face of the pending plant closure, which will lead to long-term economic growth and an increase in sustainable job opportunities throughout the region. the grantee estimates that this investment will help create 300 jobs, save 4,285 jobs, and leverage $60 million in private investment.
    • $100,000 to the City of Marshalltown, Iowa, to support the City of Marshalltown with exploring processes, organizational needs and mechanics to utilize the Opportunity Zone as a tool for economic resiliency and disaster recovery. Once completed, a comprehensive recovery plan for the area will be a resource for property owners and developers seeking a great area to invest in, which will have a long-term economic impact on the community by providing a guide for future downtown development.
    • $51,300 to the Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado, Durango, Colorado, to support the Region 9 Economic Development District with expanding the duties of the current Disaster Recovery Coordinator to develop a resiliency plan for existing businesses and identify opportunities for economic diversification in the City of Silverton, Colorado. The Coordinator is critical in helping to establish long-term recovery efforts for the region by continuing to function as the liaison for the community, which will lead to the development of strategies to mitigate job loss and create resiliency for future disasters.
  • $310,000 in two Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) process. 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.
  • $485,771 in four Technical Assistance projects as follows:
    • $299,997 to the Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to fund technical assistance to Native American communities across the state of Minnesota to establish the foundation for a statewide inter-tribal council. This project will help expand economic development capacity in Indian communities in Minnesota and provide new strategic initiatives, projects and programs to improve the Tribes and the community’s economy.
    • $75,000 to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, to fund the Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) Broadband Planning Initiative to identify opportunities for developing a public fiber network that will connect communities and businesses in the EUP area. Once completed, the plan will provide a roadmap that would help improve residential access, increase reliability and security for private business, and municipal, educational, and healthcare institutions, and facilitate growth among telecommunication providers, which will further broadband infrastructure in the region.
    • $60,774 to the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, Hazel Crest, Illinois, to fund the Chicago Southland Center for Smart Logistics, which is a business plan to delineate the mission, tasks, and operational budget for the potential establishment of a Chicago Southland Center for Smart Intermodal Logistics. This investment will assist the region with developing a plan to boost economic growth in the area, which will lead to the creation of jobs to strengthen the regional economy.
    • $50,000 to the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance, Inc., Taylor, Michigan, to fund local technical assistance for a social network analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeast Michigan. The study will identify strengths and gaps in the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, provide an asset map of the available resources, analyze the connectedness of the resources, and identify opportunities to collaborate and align systems and services to support entrepreneurs. Once completed, this study will bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.