The City of Thomasville was recently awarded an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant of $2,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce to improve the city’s wastewater treatment plant and to support current and future business needs. As an agency within the Department of Commerce, the EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
“It is an honor to be awarded the EDA Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce,” said Alan Carson, City Manager. “We are appreciative of the commitment and investment by the Department of Commerce for infrastructure improvements that will positively impact our community for years to come.”
According to Chris White, Executive Director of Public Utilities, the grant is critical to present and long-term sustainability within the City’s wastewater infrastructure. “Our wastewater infrastructure and available daily treatment capacity at the plant are directly tied to the future business and economic growth of our local economy,” said White. “It is not viable for our city to see continued growth without increasing the daily treatment capacity at our plant.”
The grant is expected to spur $28.8 million in private investment while supporting approximately 260 jobs. “A strong water infrastructure is necessary to support large businesses such as Check-Mate, The Residence at Oak Grove, and the new Downtown Marriott Hotel,” said White. “The recent business development growth in Thomasville was a contributing factor to our successful application and will go a long way towards assisting with efforts to attract further business investments that will impact our local economic development.”
In addition to the EDA grant, the City will invest over 2 million towards infrastructure improvement projects. “The City has been pre-approved for a loan of approximately $2.1 million from the Georgia Environmental Authority (GEFA) to be used towards the wastewater treatment plant project,” said White. “As part of a clean water initiative, GEFA will forgive approximately $900,00 of the low-interest loan.”
“This grant would not be possible without the support of the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission along with local and state officials,” said White. “We are especially appreciative of Ms. Pam Schalk whose work as our Grants Administrator continues to open doors of funding resources for projects that positively impact the overall quality of life of our citizens.”
For more information about the EDA Grant please visit www.thomasville.org. For additional information or questions, please contact Pam Schalk, Grants Administrator, at 229-227-4093.