Eastland Awarded $1 Million Grant,
Will Add Hundreds of Jobs
Multiple businesses have committed to building new facilities in Eastland's planned business park, bringing 200 to 400 jobs in coming years.
The federal Economic Development Administration awarded the city of Eastland and Eastland Economic Development Inc. a $1 million one-to-one matching grant to help build water and sewer lines in the proposed 92-acre business park east of town.
Jerry Conner, executive director of EEDI, said Eastland was one of only three Texas cities to receive the grant. To get the grant, Conner and city leaders must have companies sign a commitment that they would come to Eastland if infrastructure was in place. Eastland officials also presented a detailed plan of how that infrastructure would be built.
Conner declined to say what companies are coming to town.
"This is a long-term project," he said. "It could be two years before we put a shovel in the dirt."
The total project should cost about $2.5 million. Conner said EEDI has 75 percent of its share in reserves already. The EDA will reimburse Eastland for half of all eligible work done, up to $1 million.
The next steps include completing engineering design for water and sewer lines to serve the business park, called the "Green Campus."
The site sits east of town along Interstate 20. The green title won't bar specific businesses. Instead, the focus will be to promote businesses cognizant of environmental responsibility.
"It will be a first-rate campus, sensitive to environmentally friendly and energy-renewable businesses," Conner said. "That means, if we have a choice between a company with four smokestacks and a company that builds solar panels, we're going to go with the company that builds solar panels."
Eastland Mayor Mark Pipkin announced Tuesday that city commissioners officially accepted the grant.
Terry Jones, president of EEDI, said that being awarded the funds during tight economic climes demonstrates Eastland's ability to remain economically viable.
Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Dr. Rebecca Blank said in a news release that the grants are designed "to provide funding to local communities to enhance job creation, economic growth and competitiveness and make the vital infrastructure improvements needed to spur business development and job growth throughout Texas."
Austin and Gregory, near Corpus Christi, also received grants.
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