Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.2 million grant to Concho Valley Council of Governments (CVCOG) in San Angelo, Texas, to purchase a building to serve as CVCOG’s regional headquarters. The facility will provide disaster recovery and economic development services to the region. The EDA grant is expected to be matched with more than $550,000 in local investment.
“The Trump Administration is working continuously to support natural disaster recovery efforts in Texas,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This project will support revitalization of the San Angelo region and rebuilding of impacted communities.”
“This investment will move CVCOG’s headquarters to a more resilient location, which will allow for critical emergency and recovery operations,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Dr. John Fleming. “Designed to withstand severe weather events, the facility will have the capacity to remain operational in the face of future natural disasters.”
“This facility will improve Texas’ ability to respond to natural disasters and will strengthen Concho Valley Council of Governments’ economic development efforts throughout the region,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Texas is grateful to the Trump Administration and Secretary Ross for this investment and for their continued partnership with the Lone Star State.”
“Helping Texans recover and rebuild from natural disasters has been my top priority,” said Senator John Cornyn. “I was proud to support this funding in the Senate, and I thank President Trump for prioritizing preparedness in San Angelo.”
“This announcement is fantastic news for the Concho Valley community and the entire state of Texas,” said Congressman Mike Conaway (TX-11). “I applaud the Trump Administration for recognizing the important work being done by the Concho Valley Council of Governments and working with them to proactively invest in our region to ensure that we are well-equipped to manage any future natural disasters.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the CVCOG, which EDA funds to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20) (PDF), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.