Grant

March 29-April 4, 2019

  • EDA announced 19 investments from March 29-April 4, 2019, totaling $7,011,217. These investments include the following: (1) $5,071,217 in 12 Economic Adjustment Assistance projects to help communities design and implement strategies to adjust or bring about change to their economy in response to structural damage to their underlying economic base, which includes three projects for $2,989,071 that will help create 78 jobs, save 163 jobs, and leverage $8,697,000 in private investment; (2) $1,100,000 in one Public Works project to help communities revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure; and (3) $840,000 in six Partnership Planning projects to support the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process.
    • $5,071,217 in 12 Economic Adjustment Assistance projects as follows:
      • $2,640,000 to the City of Viroqua and the County of Vernon, Wisconsin, to support the construction and expansion of the City of Viroqua/Vernon County Industrial Park to provide needed industrial and commercial building sites following severe storms and flooding in the area. The improvements will help the region diversify and strengthen its industrial base, attract new industries to build on the area’s competitive strengths, attract private investment, and create jobs to improve the local economy. The grantees estimate that this investment will help create 58 jobs, save 3 job, and leverage $8,450,000 in private investment.
      • $400,000 to the Sevier County Electric System, Sevierville/Sevier County, Tennessee, to fund construction of an alternate electrical feed to the Douglas Lake Water Intake Center to increase resiliency and ensure continuity of operations for businesses impacted by natural disaster events. This project will provide adequate and reliable water supply to the region, which is critical in sustaining economic growth and resiliency.
      • $353,000 to the International Economic Development Council, Washington, District of Columbia, to support the implementation of an economic resilience initiative for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), to include the delivery of technical assistance on infrastructure redevelopment, assessment and analysis of the regional business environment, and delivery of economic resilience and recovery training. The project will be a critical part of the CNMI's effort to rebuild its infrastructure, become more resilient to the effects of future natural disasters, which will lead to long-term economic stability throughout the region.
      • $280,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Texas Engineering Extension Service, College Station/Brazos County, Texas, to support the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) with providing disaster preparedness and recovery training to officials in communities vulnerable to natural disasters in College Station, Texas. The training will prepare these communities to effectively utilize public assistance reimbursement programs to quickly restore critical infrastructure that supports economic development, which will establish resiliency for future natural disasters.
      • $247,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the University of West Florida, Pensacola/Escambia County, Florida, to fund the purchase of a Mobile Assistance Center (MAC) to support the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network Small Business Disaster Relief program. The MAC project will allow the SBDC Network to provide technical assistance and ongoing, intensive consulting to small businesses and individuals in the counties that were most severely impacted by Hurricane Irma. This investment will provide the necessary business recovery assistance to help ensure a more sustainable, resilient, and stronger region.
      • $200,000 to the Mid-East Commission, Washington/Beaufort County, South Carolina, to support the hiring of a Disaster Recovery Coordinator to aid in Hurricane Florence disaster recovery and help provide technical assistance to local governments in Beaufort, Bertie and Pitt counties in the Mid-East region. The coordinator will work with communities to build resource capacity and assess the needs of the region to better plan for and respond to future disasters. The project will help the region become more economically resilient in the face of future disasters and spur business and social redevelopment in the region.
      • $189,071 to the International Economic Development Council, Washington, District of Columbia, to support the implementation of an economic resilience initiative for the county of Hawaii, to include organizing and deploying economic development volunteers to provide technical assistance on recovery to impacted communities in the region. The project will be a critical part of the county's effort to rebuild its infrastructure, become more resilient to the effects of future natural disasters, which will lead to long-term economic stability throughout the region. The grantee estimates that this investment will help save 150 jobs and leverage $47,000 in private investment.
      • $175,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Pinellas Park/Pinellas County, Florida, to fund a technical assistance initiative led by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council to conduct an applied research project that includes educating Chambers of Commerce staff on disaster recovery preparation by conducting an exercise with regional management staff and business leaders on how best to prepare for disaster recovery. Completion of the project will strengthen the long-term economic infrastructure of the region and help maintain economic resilience in the wake of future natural disasters.
      • $160,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments, Florence/Florence County, South Carolina, to support the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments with the completion of a master plan study to implement a strategic planning initiative that would support the region’s ability to better leverage the new Dillon Inland Port during future disasters. Once completed, the study will provide a plan that identifies barriers to growth and storm issues associated with transportation and distribution of products and goods at the Port, making the region more resilient to natural disasters.
      • $160,000 in 2018 Disaster Supplemental funding to the Lake County Economic Development Corporation, Kelseyville/Lake County, California, to support the Lake County Economic Development Corporation with the hiring of an economic recovery coordinator to participate in evaluating data to assist in the development and implementation of the County Recovery and Resilience Plans, which will lead to the development of strategies to mitigate job loss and create resiliency for future disasters. The grantee estimates that this investment will help create 20 jobs, save 10 jobs, and leverage $200,000 in private investment.
      • $148,000 to the Southeastern Partnership, Inc., Elizabethtown/Bladen County, North Carolina, to fund a regional industry sector analysis for a region of 18 counties in southeastern North Carolina. The study will refine the Southeastern Partnership’s marketing efforts by identifying promising growth sectors the best align with the region’s competitive advantages. Once completed, the project will create new businesses and jobs in the region, which will lead to a more resilient economy.
      • $119,146 in Assistance to Coal Communities funds to Arizona State University, Tempe/Maricopa County, Arizona, to support the development of a technical assistance program focused on renewable energy development within the Navajo Nation Chapter governments in Window Rock, Arizona, which is located on the Navajo Reservation. Once completed, this project will foster diversification of the economy and spur job creation in sustainable industries throughout the region’s workforce.
    • $1,100,000 in one Public Works project as follows:
    • $840,000 in six 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.