The Delta Regional Authority has announced $2,674,232 in grants to Arkansas entities.
The investment will be matched by $7,778,196 and will attract an additional $65,000 in leveraged private investment into seven Arkansas communities, according to the authority. The seven projects are expected to create or retain 106 jobs, train 168 individuals and affect 3,359 families.
"The road to economic revitalization begins with strengthening a community's infrastructure, supporting small businesses and developing a workforce to meet local industry needs," said Dr. Corey Wiggins, federal co-chairman of the authority. "Delta Regional Authority's $2.6 million investment will help boost seven projects in Arkansas communities to enable economic growth and preparing the region for a prosperous future."
"These investments from the Delta Regional Authority will provide growth in infrastructure, education and tourism in Arkansas," said Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The recipients, and amount of Delta Regional Authority investment, include:
• Pocahontas water treatment plant: $781,077. The city of Pocahontas will use the funds to upgrade its existing water treatment plant and expand its capacity.
• South Arkansas Community College, El Dorado: $733,448. The funds will be used to expand and renovate an existing building to increase capacity to support welding and industrial maintenance programs.
• Sultana Disaster Museum, Marion: $508,910. The funds will be used to renovate a building that will house the Sultana Disaster Museum.
• Worldwide Label and Packaging Loading Docks, McCrory: $231,283. The city of McCrory will use the funds to add a new loading dock for a city-owned building that has been leased since 2000 to Worldwide Label and Packaging.
• Black River Technical College, Pocahontas: $169,786. The college will use the funds to transform a classroom into a flexible, modular space for industry-specific robotics training that focuses on programming, operations and maintenance.
• Ozarka College, Melbourne: $182,910. The college will use the funds to expand and upgrade its nursing program to address the shortage of licensed practical and registered nurses in the north-central Arkansas region.
• Altheimer wastewater system: $66,818. The city of Altheimer will use the funds to make necessary improvements to its wastewater system.
The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta region and Alabama Black Belt. The authority invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training and business development. Its mission is to help create jobs, build communities and improve the lives of those who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region.