U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced a $5.4 million investment in New Mexico by the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support economic and workforce development as a response to the state’s recent natural disasters. The funds will be allocated to support various county initiatives aimed at revitalizing and boosting the local economies devastated by wildfires and floods.
The largest share of the EDA investment will go to Mora County, which will receive a $3 million grant. These funds will be used for the construction of the Mora County Complex, a facility designed to house county operations, provide small business support, and foster economic development activities. The project will supplement this EDA grant with $750,000 in local funds.
The city of Las Vegas is also set to benefit from this investment with a $1.9 million EDA grant. The funds will be utilized to support the planning, design, and construction efforts to revitalize the Douglas-Sixth Historic District, which is expected to stimulate business growth and economic development. The city will match the EDA’s grant with $462,500 in local funds.
Luna Community College in Las Vegas will receive $500,000 from the EDA to develop a Wildfire Resiliency Training Center. The center is aimed at fostering workforce development and promoting economic diversification in the region. This project will also be matched with $165,000 in local funds.
These EDA investments are part of the Biden administration’s commitment to helping communities in New Mexico and across the country recover and grow in the aftermath of natural disasters. Both the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo, emphasized the importance of such investments in supporting locally-developed strategies for creating economic opportunities and resilient regional economies.
