Blount County Awarded $1.2 million Economic Development Grant

Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn) and U.S. Representative John Duncan (R-Tenn.) today praised the announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) that the Industrial Development Board of Blount County has been awarded $1.2 million in grant funding for road improvements to Pellissippi Place, a mixed-use research and development park located in Blount County.  According to information released from the EDA, this funding will aid in the retention of 380 jobs and the leveraging of $26 million in private investment.

“This money will help Blount County, my home, improve roads to the research and development park, and, in the process, create nearly 400 jobs and help boost the east Tennessee economy,” said Alexander.  “These types of infrastructure improvements are very important for the more rural areas of our state, and I will continue to work with the rest of the delegation to ensure that Tennesseans are getting the help they need.”

“These types of infrastructure improvements support existing business operations and promote new business development, generating jobs and economic growth for the community,” Corker said. “I thank the Department of Commerce for supporting economic development in Tennessee and I will continue working with my colleagues in the Tennessee delegation to promote job creation policies.”

“I am very pleased that East Tennessee has been recognized with this important infrastructure investment for its ever-expanding research and technology industry,” said Congressman Duncan.  “The investment is an essential component of a project aimed at ensuring the continued growth of our local economy.”

EDA provides Public Works investments to help communities and regions revitalize, expand, and upgrade their physical infrastructure to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local economies, and generate or retain long-term private sector jobs and investment.