CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $1,900,000 in federal funding for Grandview Doolin Public Service District in Proctor, West Virginia. This funding was made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and will be used for water infrastructure to provide potable water service to industrial customers in Marshall County. Additionally, this EDA investment, which will be located in an Opportunity Zone, will be matched with $1.3 million in local investment and is expected to spur $135 million in private investment.
“West Virginians deserve access to clean water and reliable infrastructure to deliver it to our homes and businesses. Investments like this from the EDA help make these improvements, while also spurring economic development and improving the lives of West Virginians. As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have fought to ensure West Virginia receives the support we need to improve our infrastructure both above and below the ground. EDA has been a steadfast partner in this mission, and I am grateful for their continuous support to our state. This project will help fuel local economies by utilizing Opportunity Zones, and I look forward to its implementation in Marshall County,” said Senator Capito.
“Creating jobs and opportunities across West Virginia is a top priority of mine, and I am pleased to see the EDA investing in Marshall County. In April I supported this project application, and now this funding will support infrastructure upgrades that will help industrial users in the area retain and create approximately 75 jobs, leverage more than $100 million in private follow-on investment, and allow for the development of additional commercial and industrial sites. West Virginia and our federal partners must continue investing in infrastructure projects like this to attract new companies and grow existing businesses in our state. I will continue working with the EDA and other agencies to ensure West Virginia continues to see infrastructure investments,” said Senator Manchin.
BACKGROUND:
This project is funded under the Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) program, through which EDA awards funds on a competitive basis to assist communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal through activities and programs that support economic diversification, job creation, capital investment, workforce development, and re-employment opportunities.
The funding announced today goes to one of West Virginia’s 55 Opportunity Zones. Created through language Senator Capito co-sponsored in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones are economic development tools designed to drive investment, encourage economic growth, and created jobs in economically-distressed communities. In June 2019, EDA added Opportunity Zones as an Investment Priority, which increases the number of catalytic Opportunity Zone-related projects that EDA can fund to fuel greater public investment in these areas.
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