Iowa
Program | # of Grants | EDA Funds |
---|---|---|
Disaster Relief | 3 | $2,778,597 |
Planning | 14 | $771,300 |
Technical Assistance | 3 | $436,013 |
Total | 20 | $3,985,910 |
During Fiscal Year 2013, EDA invested $3,985,910 in 20 projects in the State of Iowa. These projects are expected to create or retain 186 jobs and leverage $50,226,150 in private investment according to grantee estimates. EDA’s investments help Iowa communities achieve bottom-up, locally-defined economic development goals and strategies.
EDA offers a complementary, balanced portfolio of grant programs designed to help rural and urban communities grow their private sectors and create jobs.
Investment Spotlight: Southbridge Business Park
In 2011, a 500-year flood on the Missouri River destroyed the entire riverfront area in Sioux City, Iowa. Businesses throughout the city were forced to close as river levels quickly rose.
Inundation maps provided by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and FEMA had shown significant potential for massive flooding of many facilities in the area. As a wise precautionary move, many businesses in the area relocated portions or all of their business to avoid potential disaster. However, despite these precautions, flooding threatened railroad operations in the area, ultimately harming even those industries not directly touched by flood waters.
Sioux City’s Southbridge Business Park, a new facility located outside of any possible flooding, became a popular relocation site for Sioux City flood-impacted companies. In August 2013, EDA invested $500,000 in disaster relief funds to provide new, flood-protected rail access for the business park. By providing alternative sites for new industrial growth which are outside of the floodway and, more importantly, are outside of the actual flood area as demonstrated by the 2011 500+ year flood event, this project adds to the community's disaster resiliency.