JOHNSON CITY, TENN. – Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it was awarding $2,660,150 in loans to Tri-Cities Airport and $32,750,000 in Rural Community Facilities loans to build a new school in Jonesborough:

“I’m pleased that the USDA is once again investing in Northeast Tennessee. These funds will improve our region’s airport and build a much-needed school. Long-term investments like these will benefit our community for years to come, and I thank Secretary Perdue and USDA.”

Note: USDA Description of Projects:

• Tri-Cities Airport: “This Rural Development investment will be used to make upgrades to the Tri-Cities Airport Authority. These upgrades consist of two different projects: Public Parking Expansion project; which includes the grading and paving of a previously cleared area at the Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) adjacent to an existing parking area. Some electrical work will include parking lot lighting and access controls. Storm drainage will also be constructed to manage on site flows and match pre- and post-construction conditions. The second project is: CT-80 Baggage Scanner Relocation project; which will consolidate the airline passenger bag clearance operations and will allow three airlines to utilize the equipment. All of the CT-80 Baggage Scanner Relocation project will occur inside the Tri-Cities Airport’s main building.
  
• Jonesborough: “This Rural Development investment will be used to construct a 147,000 square feet, K-8 school designed for 1,100 students. The building is proposed to accommodate the enrollment trends, alleviate site constraints, and provide a path forward for the district. For this capacity, the anticipated school will need approximately 53 standard classrooms to meet the state average class size requirement. In addition, specialized classrooms such as labs, art rooms, music rooms, collaboration spaces, and the normal complement of associated supporting spaces are required: cafeteria, media center, gymnasium, etc. Classrooms will be designed for the state-required ranges for average and maximum class sizes.”