The City of Cleveland received official notification Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) of an $17.9 million grant for wastewater infrastructure improvements.
CITY OF CLEVELAND NEWS RELEASE:
“Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner acknowledged the collaborative efforts placed into the application process.
“This grant award is the culmination of months of work and meetings to garner support. Senator Jon Ossoff and his office staff were champions for Cleveland throughout this process. I was thrilled when Senator Ossoff called to notify me of the grant award. I also want to thank Congressman Andrew Clyde and Senator Raphael Warnock for their support of the application and the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission for writing the application.”
The City’s project will be funded through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. The grant will ensure that Cleveland has the capacity to meet current demands and the anticipation growth in a rapidly developing region of the state.
“The significance of this investment is a game changer for the City of Cleveland and community,” according to City Administrator Kevin Harris. “Sewer infrastructure and overall capacity is so important to economic growth and housing and I’m proud of the investment that EDA has made in the future of our community.”
The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission (GMRC) partnered with the City of Cleveland’s Economic Development Director, Tom O’Bryant, to research and complete the grant application process. Local businesses in the community were also instrumental in advancing the application through the creation of investment and future jobs, which met the standards of the application.
For the City, the next step will be an initial kickoff meeting with EDA. This will allow the City to bid the project and move forward with construction.”