Civil and Municipal - Jan 22

14 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 “The Build Back Better Regional Challenge aims to supercharge local economies and increase American competitiveness around the globe,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The outpouring of interest in this program shows the demand for the Build Back Better agenda and the desire to not only create good- paying jobs, but also strengthen our country’s economic resiliency for years down the road.” “We are thrilled to help communities work together—in coalitions of government, nonprofits, academia, the private sector, and others—to craft ambitious and regionally unique plans to rebuild their communities,” said Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These projects will help revitalize local economies and tackle our biggest challenges related to climate change, manufacturing, supply chains and more. EDA is proud to ignite these plans and help communities nationwide build back better.” Finalists’ projects span 45 states and Puerto Rico. Twelve finalists are in coal communities, to which EDA has dedicated $100 million of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds as part of its Coal Communities Commitment. Overall, EDA will allocate $300 million of its $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic to help create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Projects represent industry sectors that are unique to each region, including advanced manufacturing; aerospace and defense; agriculture and natural resources; biotechnology and biomanufacturing; energy and resilience; health care and digital health; information technology; transportation; construction and logistics; and water and blue economy. For more information, please visit our fact sheet. Coalition leads for each finalist: • Alameda County Waste Management Authority • Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Foundation • CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity The Build Back Better Regional Challenge aims to supercharge local economies and increase American competitiveness around the globe