Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million grant to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, Middletown, Pennsylvania, to make roadway access improvements needed to support an expansion project at the Harrisburg International Airport, promoting job creation and economic growth. This EDA grant, to be matched with $937,750 in local funds, is expected to create 354 jobs, retain 458 jobs and generate $8.4 million in private investment.
“President Biden is committed to supporting local efforts to create new opportunities and jobs in communities impacted by nuclear plant closures,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This investment will support an expansion project at the air cargo terminal to accommodate global air cargo carriers, providing new opportunities to diversify and grow the regional economy.”
“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority’s strategy to strengthen infrastructure designed to attract businesses and promote job growth,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This EDA investment will create a roadway system designed to improve airport access and grow the local economy.”
“This funding is critical for Pennsylvania as we move forward from the closure of Three Mile Island,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “Investing in the preliminary steps of this expansion project at the Harrisburg International Airport will not only boost the airport’s capabilities and economic reach, but also brings new opportunities and jobs to the surrounding community.”
“I advocated to the Economic Development Administration for this grant, which will help to create hundreds of jobs and grow and diversify the economy of Dauphin County and South Central Pennsylvania,” said Senator Bob Casey. “The Biden Administration is helping our state to build back better, ensuring that communities affected by nuclear power plant closures don’t get left behind.”
“After a tremendous amount of planning, coordination and teamwork with the great folks from Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, I am thrilled to help carry this grant across the finish line and bring more jobs and private investment to our amazing community,” said Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10). “This is a wonderful example of how public and private entities can work together in a nonpartisan fashion for the greater good of those they serve.”
This project is being funded under EDA’s Assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities program. Closures of nuclear power plants throughout the United States have had a significant impact on the economic foundations of surrounding communities through sudden job losses and a reduction to the local tax base. EDA has a strong history of working with communities facing structural economic adjustments, including those impacted by nuclear power plant closures.
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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.