Clarksdale, MS – The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has awarded more than $720,000 to six communities across Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee in its fifth round of funding through the Strategic Planning Program. Funding for this program is made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden — a key part of his Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.
“The Strategic Planning Program gives public entities across DRA’s footprint the ability to address long-standing issues and to develop a roadmap for economic growth and revitalization,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, Federal Co-Chairman. “This investment will better position communities to maximize their economic development and basic public infrastructure opportunities.”
The Strategic Planning Program supports communities in the DRA region by promoting problem solving, enhancing resilience and building partnerships. Through grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000, the program provides capacity-strained communities in the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions with the necessary resources to develop roadmaps for economic development. These plans guide economic growth and help alleviate prolonged issues, 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.
Fifth-Round Strategic Planning Program award recipients include:
Illinois
City of Johnston City was awarded $68,250 to develop a capital improvement plan to address aging and outdated wastewater equipment in an effort to ensure environmental compliance and sufficient service for residents.
City of West Frankfort was awarded $132,500 to develop a stormwater master plan to guide needed improvements to infrastructure that has been overburden, as a result of regional and localized flooding.
Kentucky
Princeton Water & Wastewater Commission was awarded $130,000 to update a facilities plan for a wastewater treatment plant in need of upgrades to address efficiency and biological hazards.
Louisiana
City of Kenner was awarded $133,350 to develop a strategic plan focusing on necessary future wastewater infrastructure improvements, following impacts from Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Mississippi
Jackson Public Schools was awarded nearly $137,000 to develop a strategic plan focusing on the repurposing of district facilities to transform unutilized properties into valuable assets that will stimulate job creation, economic development and revitalization efforts in the City of Jackson.
Tennessee
City of Brownsville was awarded more than $121,500 to develop a design-to-cost study for the establishment of a community resource center that will provide social, workforce and health services.
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).
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