State Grants Aim To Aid West Alabama Industrial Development
The West Alabama counties of Bibb, Perry and Walker are among 21 counties in Alabama that will be splitting $15.7 million dollars in industrial development grant money from the state. The grants are part of the third round of Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program funding.
Tuscaloosa County and eight other counties will share $12.7 million for activities including land purchases, as well as site clearing, grading and other preparation.
A press release from the governor's office describes the program as being designed to strengthen Alabama's competitiveness in securing large-scale economic development of industry-ready sites.
Along with local matching funds, the three years of the grant funding have invested $138 million for 77 sites statewide,
“SEEDS has proven to be a gamechanger for Alabama’s economic development, helping communities across our state compete for the transformative projects that create jobs and build prosperity,” Governor Ivey was quoted as saying in the press release. “With 77 sites now approved for funding across three rounds, SEEDS continues to deliver on its promise. We’re already seeing major companies choose Alabama because we’ve invested in making our sites ready for development.”
“With 28 rural counties receiving SEEDS support, economic opportunity is reaching every corner of Alabama,” added Governor Ivey.
SEEDS is a key piece of Governor Ivey’s 'Game Plan' package to fortify economic development in Alabama. Applicants must meet two criteria:
- Be an Alabama entity not operating for profit, including, but not limited to, a municipality, county, industrial development board, industrial development authority, chamber of commerce, or some other foundation or nonprofit organization charged with improving a community or region of the state.
- The organization must have a record of supporting or otherwise participating in economic development in some part of the state
The first round of SEEDS allocations totaled $30.1 million and was matched with $38.4 million in local contributions across 29 industrial sites. In the second round, a total of $23.4 million was allocated, with an $18.1 million local match, for 27 sites.
The SEEDS initiative is a matching-grant program administered by the Alabama Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA). Receiving additional oversight from the State Industrial Development Authority, the program’s goal is to create a strong inventory of development-ready sites.
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