U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.6 Million for Roadway and Utility Infrastructure Improvements to Support the Manufacturing Sector in Worcester, Massachusetts
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.6 million grant to New Garden Park Inc., in Worcester, Massachusetts, for roadway and utility infrastructure improvements to support the manufacturing sector in the region.
This grant will provide for essential utility upgrades, including roadways, telecommunications, and stormwater drainage, as well as gas and electricity, to serve new manufacturing development sites. This EDA investment will be matched with $2.6 million in local funds and is expected to create more than 2,900 jobs, retain 320 jobs, and generate $20 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that infrastructure is key to building an economy that works for all Americans,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will support a revitalization project that will create and retain jobs while helping to build regional economic resilience in Worcester, Massachusetts.”
“The Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support place-based economic growth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “This project will provide critical infrastructure improvements to help diversify the regional economy and create jobs.”
“Investing in local infrastructure is key to supporting our cities and towns and improving quality of life,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These dollars will contribute to the Massachusetts economy and create manufacturing jobs in the Worcester area. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for this award and for their continued investment in Massachusetts.”
“For too many years, former industrial sites like this one in Worcester have sat vacant, underused, and contaminated. Today’s announcement from the Economic Development Administration builds upon $3.35 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured by Congressman McGovern, Senator Warren and me, as well as an earlier $2 million investment from the Environmental Protection Agency, to transform eyesores into assets and polluted sites into public sanctuaries and hubs of economic opportunity in Worcester,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “I look forward to continuing to work together with Mayor Petty, New Garden Park, and all of our local partners in Worcester to bring clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean growth, and clean jobs to the community.”
“Investing in our infrastructure keeps people safe. This investment will reinforce Worcester roads to help people travel safer and upgrade storm drains to prevent dangerous floods,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “This is a win of more than $5 million for Worcester and will create nearly 3,000 jobs in the process, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership.”
“This is a huge investment in Worcester’s future that will help redevelop a significant portion of the former Saint Gobain Abrasives site and create the infrastructure necessary to attract new businesses and generate long-term economic growth,” said Representative James McGovern (MA-2). “Thanks to this grant and the $3.35 million in congressionally directed spending our delegation has secured through the appropriations process, Worcester will see nearly 1,000 new jobs and over a million square feet of new manufacturing space. I’m happy to have worked to make this day a reality, and I look forward seeing to the economic growth this important new federal funding will bring to our community.”
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.