Press Release
Entrepreneurs and Workers in Salisbury, Maryland Region Receive Support from U.S. EDA
March 2, 2011
Contact: John Atwood, (202) 482-4085
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced an $853,034 grant to the Tri County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland to help build the Regional Workforce and Business Development Center in Salisbury, Md. The project is expected to create 128 jobs and leverage $6.5 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
"Supporting entrepreneurship and providing the nation's workforce with the training and services they need to become competitive and win the future are top priorities for the Obama administration," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez. "This EDA grant will provide the critical infrastructure needed to support development of a "one-stop shop" where entrepreneurs and start-up businesses can grow and flourish and workers can receive critical job training."
"The EDA grant for Tri County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland will make significant improvements to ensuring access to the facility," said Mike Pennington, Executive Director, Tri County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. "This facility is a main goal and implementation action of the Tri County Council's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and will serve as the epicenter of workforce and business development for our 3-county EDA development district."
The infrastructure, to be built with the EDA grant, will employ the use of green technologies throughout by converting a wet pond into a submerged gravel wetland and providing a habitat for species in planted wetland cells. Road areas will be constructed of concrete instead of asphalt, as it requires no oil based materials and reduces heat island effects, and all exterior lighting fixtures will be dark-sky compliant.
The "one-stop shop" Center will house a business incubator, workforce training classrooms, career technology laboratory, conference room and a career resource library. The facility will also serve as the main transfer point for the Shore Transit, making its location in a rural region highly accessible.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration:
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 makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.