CLARKSDALE, Miss. – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is awarding nearly $500,000 to five communities across Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri in its third round of funding through the Strategic Planning Program. Funding for this program was made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden — a key part of his Investing in America agenda.
“The Strategic Planning Program gives public entities across DRA’s footprint the ability to address long-standing issues and develop a roadmap for economic growth and revitalization,” said Federal Co-Chairman, Dr. Corey Wiggins. “This investment will better position communities to maximize their economic development and basic public infrastructure opportunities.”
Awarding grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000, the Strategic Planning Program supports communities in the DRA region by promoting problem solving, enhancing resilience and building partnerships. The funding opportunity aims to provide communities in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions — that are experiencing capacity strains — with the necessary resources to develop plans to help alleviate prolonged issues and to guide economic growth, including basic public infrastructure needs, industry growth, workforce pipelines and small business development.
Applicants can apply for a plan that fits their community’s unique challenges and needs, which include, but are not limited to, comprehensive economic development plans, master plans, preliminary engineering reports, utility rate studies, feasibility studies, workforce development plans and broadband deployment plans. The Strategic Planning Program provides grantees with the resources necessary to develop a roadmap for economic development.
Third-Round Strategic-Planning Program Awards recipients include:
Illinois
Illinois New Harmony Bridge Authority awarded $150,000 to continue its engineering design for the repairing and reopening of the historic New Harmony Bridge, located in White County, Ill. Connecting rural southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, the New Harmony Bridge project will help restore economic stability and develop new opportunities for economic activity in rural Southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois Now awarded almost $130,000 to identify priority sites for industrial attraction and business development in rural southern Illinois, including Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, White and Williamson counties.
Missouri
Southeast Missouri Regional Economic Development, Inc., awarded $63,000 for the production of an industrial market analysis to identify viable sites for industrial investment, target industries and critical infrastructure improvements necessary to increase regional attractiveness.
Kentucky
City of Fulton awarded $124,000 to produce a utility rate study and a hydraulic modeling water study to inform the development of a comprehensive water system strategic plan that will guide investments for the next 20 years.
City of Hickman awarded $25,000 to develop a preliminary engineering report for its water treatment plant to identify needed upgrades in its distribution system.
Applications for the Strategic Planning Program are accepted on a rolling basis. Additional information for the Strategic Planning Program is available at Strategic Planning Program – Delta Regional Authority (dra.gov).