BATON ROUGE – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) highlighted a $6,806,567 Delta Regional Authority (DRA) investment to boost economic development and improve the quality of life for Louisiana communities and residents. The investment will be matched by $9 million in local public investment and will attract an additional $4 million in leveraged private investment (LPI) into Louisiana.
“A huge investment to improve infrastructure and support Louisiana’s workforce,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is great news for our state and thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill, we can expect to see additional funds in the near future.”
The 17 new investment projects will improve water and sewer systems, update transportation infrastructure, and support business development and job training in communities across Louisiana. These projects are expected to create or retain 675 jobs, train 224 individuals, and affect over 18,000 families.
Funding for these projects is provided by the States’ Economic Development Assistance Program(SEDAP), which provides direct investment into community-based and regional projects to support basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, workforce training and education, and small businesses development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), which targets physical infrastructure projects that help build safer, more resilient communities in the Delta region. DRA coordinates directly with the Office of the Governor for the State of Louisiana and its local development districts for program funding implementation.
The following projects were funded by CIF:
– Cypress Street Drainage Improvements | Monroe, LA: The Ouachita Parish Police Jury will use DRA funds to replace a failed subsurface drainage pipe. This investment is projected to create 15 jobs and retain 15 jobs.
DRA Investment: $421,393
Total Investment: $468,217
– Madison Parish Port Road | Tallulah, LA: The Madison Parish Port Commission will use DRA funds to reconstruct and widen approximately 7,500 linear feet of an existing access road to the existing Mississippi River port. This investment is projected to create 11 jobs and retain 180 jobs.
DRA Investment: $1,297,868
Total Investment: $1,618,132
– Water Distribution System Improvements | Natchitoches, LA: The Sabine Parish Waterworks District No. 1 will use DRA funds to expand the Sabine Parish Waterworks District No. 1 distribution along Highway 485 and Lake Loop in Natchitoches Parish.
DRA Investment: $200,000
Total Investment: $456,000
– Cypress/Slack Sanitary Sewer Improvements | West Monroe, LA: The City of West Monroe will use DRA funds to improve the sanitary sewer system in the Cypress/Slack Street area to eliminate blockages and overflows. This investment is projected to retain 15 jobs and affect 160 families.
DRA Investment: $398,954
Total Investment: $529,303
– Central Louisiana Regional Port Reconstruction | Alexandria, LA: The Central Louisiana Regional Port will use DRA funds to retrofit and expand existing facilities and infrastructure to support organic biotechnology research & development and manufacturing for sustainable products, activating the foreign trade zone. This investment is projected to create 21 jobs, retain four jobs, and affect 21 families.
DRA Investment: $1,014,000
Total Investment: $3,841,414
Additional Capital Investment: $4,000,000
– Harahan Sewer Manhole Rehabilitation Project | Harahan, LA: The City of Harahan will use DRA funds to rehabilitate approximately 25 sewer manholes/1,360 feet of sewer lines along the Wilson/Huntley Street corridor. This investment is projected to retain 258 jobs and affect 2,859 families.
DRA Investment: $256,500
Total Investment: $331,500
The following projects were funded by SEDAP:
– Waterproof Wastewater Treatment Plant | Waterproof, LA: The Town of Waterproof will use DRA funds to assist at keeping the town free of standing sewer water and sanitizing the water output. This investment is projected to affect 270 families.
DRA Investment: $33,815
Total Investment: $33,815
– Functioning Sewer Lift Stations | Ville Platte, LA: The City of Ville Platte will use DRA funds to replace all non-functioning Sewer Pumping System and Sewer Treatment Plant equipment. This investment is projected to affect 3,461 families.
DRA Investment: $307,000
Total Investment: $607,000
– Train the Trainer; Support of Louisiana Municipal Association | Monroe, LA: The University of Louisiana Monroe will use DRA funds to continue to identify cohorts in Northeast Louisiana whose activities would benefit from using unmanned aerial systems in their operations. This investment is projected to train 100 individuals.
DRA Investment: $112,575
Total Investment: $133,615
– Hudson Well Transmission Main | Farmerville, LA: The Union Parish Waterworks District No. 1 will use DRA funds to provide for well modifications and construction of a transmission main from the District’s Hudson well to the Spillway Production and Treatment Facility. This investment is projected to affect 568 families.
DRA Investment: $300,000
Total Investment: $330,000
– DBA Franklin Medical Center Capacity Expansion | Winnsboro, LA: Franklin Medical Center will use DRA funds to expand ICU, Lab, and Surgery to improve capacity for highly infectious patients, efficient testing, and appropriate overflow for emergent patients with infectious disease. This investment is projected to create five jobs and retain five jobs.
DRA Investment: $509,000
Total Investment: $3,227,929
– Village of Simsboro New Water Well | Simsboro, LA: The Village of Simsboro will use DRA funds to supply a new high-capacity water well and associated improvements. This investment is projected to create 13 jobs, retain 36 jobs, and affect 352 families.
DRA Investment: $476,673
Total Investment: $621,213
– Village of Doyline Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements | Doyline, LA: The Village of Doyline will use DRA funds to improve its only wastewater treatment facility and establish a permanent source of electricity. This investment is projected to affect 325 families.
DRA Investment: $447,289
Total Investment: $523,289
– City of Natchitoches – Keyser Avenue Lift Station Renovation | Natchitoches, LA: The City of Natchitoches will use DRA funds to renovate the Keyser Avenue Lift Station. This investment is projected to create 30 jobs, retain 20 jobs, and affect 6,222 families.
DRA Investment: $400,000
Total Investment: $465,000
– Acadiana Regional Seafood Hub | Delcambre, LA: The Twin Parish Port District (Port of Delcambre) will use DRA funds to invest in land purchase, site development, and architectural and engineering fees for the Acadiana Regional Seafood Hub. This investment is projected to create 12 jobs and retain five jobs.
DRA Investment: $275,000
Total Investment: $1,348,480
– Commercial Vehicle Operations Mobile Lab Simulator | Schriever, LA: The Fletcher Technical Community College Foundation will use DRA funds to develop a Commercial Vehicle Operations Mobile Lab Simulator to train the workforce in CVO at a faster and updated pace. This investment is projected to train 50 individuals.
DRA Investment: $100,000
Total Investment: $110,000
– Lift Station No. 6 Rehabilitation | Farmerville, LA: The Town of Farmerville will use DRA funds to repair, rehabilitate, and improve sewer lift station number 6. This investment is projected to affect 1,222 families.
DRA Investment: $256,500
Total Investment: $296,500
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