The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has awarded more than $500,000 to four communities across Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee in its sixth round of funding through the Strategic Planning Program.
“The 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.”
This sixth round of funding is DRA’s final funding award for the 2024 fiscal year. During 2024, DRA invested more than $2.3 million, in a total of 19 projects, through the program. The 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. Sixth-Round Strategic Planning Program award recipients include:
Mississippi: Hazlehurst Chamber of Commerce was awarded more than $87,000 to revitalize economic development in the city of Hazlehurst through the creation of a business and workforce development strategy that will be used to support existing small businesses; promote entrepreneurship; identify potential infrastructure improvements, including broadband; identify methods to increase education and training access for young workers; and partner with local industry to identify training needs.
Tougaloo College was awarded $150,000 to conduct a preliminary engineering report on the current conditions of the institution’s water and sewer infrastructure to provide for updated field surveys and maps of the campus to ensure the efficient and sustainable management of water resources and preparation for future institutional growth.
Missouri: Bootheel Healthcare Foundation was awarded $150,000 to produce a comprehensive study for the construction of a new hospital facility at Three Rivers College to address the health care crisis affecting residents of the region.
Tennessee: Everett Stewart Regional Airport was awarded more than $128,000 to engage in preliminary engineering and design planning that will focus on expanding the airport’s current hangar, taxi lane and ramp space to allow for the continued growth of aviation-related businesses.
