Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests More Than $1 Million to Help Expand the Pueblo Convention Center

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
July 15, 2016

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.031 million grant to the city of Pueblo, Colo., to expand the Pueblo Convention Center.

“The travel and tourism industry supports millions of American jobs and is a major driver of our nation’s economy,” said Secretary Pritzker. “This EDA grant will allow for the expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center to increase out-of-state tourism.”

This EDA grant will fund the construction of infrastructure and site improvements for the initial phases of this multi-phase, large-scale regional tourism project that is expected to attract $85 million in private investment and create nearly 150 jobs. Specifically, EDA’s investment will help build a 45,000 square foot exposition hall and make associated site improvement including plazas, parking, and landscaping required to join the exposition hall to Pueblo’s Riverwalk. The Pueblo Convention Center is a part of a cluster of visitor/hospitality facilities within Pueblo's historic Central Business District identified as Pueblo's Riverwalk District.

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. To learn more about EDA, visit www.eda.gov.