August 17 Tuesday Roundtable Roundup: State & Federal grant opportunities for ports
In our Tuesday Roundtable on August 17, we heard from expert sources on the opportunities that abound for ports seeking funding and resources for public works construction projects. COVID-19 stimulus packages at the federal level have resulted in funding for a range of project considerations from broadband dark fiber installation to large-scale investments in water infrastructure. Indeed, the window of opportunity appears to remain open as the Senate passed a $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure package last week which has money dedicated to port infrastructure, roads and bridges among many other infrastructure needs.
Laura Ives, the Economic Development Representative with the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), which has received funding through each of the three stimulus packages. Laura provided updates to a few of the programs currently available.
Laura also provided port attendees with a plethora of resources:
· EDA American Rescue Plan website: https://eda.gov/arpa/
· ARPA Resources page: https://eda.gov/arpa/resources/
· Notice of Funding Opportunities can be downloaded from https://eda.gov/funding-opportunities
· EDA Investment Priorities: https://eda.gov/about/investment-priorities
· EDA Investment Priorities definitions: https://eda.gov/files/about/investment-priorities/EDA-FY21-Investment-Priorities-Definitions-July.pdf
· Contact Info: Laura Ives, WA EDR, Lives@eda.gov; (206) 200-1951.
Following Laura, we heard from David Chenaur, Program Manager for the Community Aviation Revitalization Loan Program and the Community Aviation Revitalization Board. CARL and the CARB board are staffed by WSDOT Aviation. CARL was permanently established through legislation WPPA supported during the 2021 legislative session. An additional $5 million in funding was allocated to the program through the capital budget. There is an active open solicitation for projects that David shared with the group.
If you missed the Roundtable and would like to watch the recording, it is available here.