U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced an $18 million grant to the city of Cleveland, Georgia today. The grant, awarded by the Department’s Economic Development Administration, is aimed at improving the city’s water infrastructure to spark job creation and economic growth.
The grant will be used to upgrade the local wastewater treatment plant, which is expected to lead to increased capacity and create new jobs and opportunities. The investment will be matched with $3.2 million in local funds and is projected to create 79 jobs and generate $9.7 million in private investment, according to estimates from the grantee.
“This EDA investment will allow the city of Cleveland develop the modern and sustainable infrastructure needed to support businesses, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen communities throughout Georgia,” said Secretary Raimondo. The initiative is part of President Biden’s commitment to ensure that the United States leads the world in infrastructure.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo emphasized the role of the Economic Development Administration in supporting locally driven recovery and resilience efforts. “This project will provide critical infrastructure improvements to help diversify the regional economy and create jobs,” she stated.
The project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission (GMRC). EDA funds GMRC to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs. The project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by various natural disasters in 2021 and 2022.
