Southern Indiana Business Report
A $3 million federal grant was awarded to Greene County for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements that will support regional economic development in and around Greene County.
This grant will expand capacity at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park to support business development in the semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing sectors.
The award was announced Monday by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. The grant is from the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support development in a region impacted by changes in the coal economy.
The grant will be matched with $3 million in local funds and is expected to create 688 jobs and generate $460 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“These grant funds will help to build the infrastructure necessary for the continued growth of the WestGate@Crane Technology Park,” said Brianne Jerrels, executive director of the Greene County Economic Development Corporation. “The benefits will extend beyond the tech park itself, positively impacting the surrounding communities and the region as a whole.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC).
“This award represents a monumental step forward for WestGate@Crane and the surrounding communities supporting its growth and development,” said Bryant Niehoff, CEO of the Uplands Science & Technology Foundation, a nonprofit development and research organization dedicated to enhancing the vitality of the WestGate@Crane Technology Park. “The approach to solving this vital infrastructure challenge has been a team effort; and this success wouldn’t be possible without the hard work, perseverance and coordination from SIDC, ROI and our regional partners.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda provides communities, including those impacted by changes in the coal economy, with the resources they need to diversify and grow their local economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment in rural Southern Indiana will catalyze a defense supply chain cluster, including the manufacturing of semiconductors, that will ensure U.S. global competitiveness and national security.”
“The U.S. Economic Development Administration is proud to partner with local communities as they pursue place-based economic development strategies,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “This project in Southern Indiana will enable the region to seize an opportunity to be a major defense supplier hub while also creating good-paying jobs and building long-term economic resiliency as the region grapples with changes in the coal economy.”This project is funded under the Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) initiative, through which EDA awards funds on a competitive basis to assist communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal. ACC projects support economic diversification, job creation, capital investment, workforce development, and re-employment opportunities.