Special to Atmore News
The City of Atmore will receive more than $300,000 in Delta Regional Authority (DRA) funds for Phase II of Project Nautilus, construction of a new rail transload yard that will support the Coastal Growers peanut processing plant and other existing and new industries located in Atmore Industrial Park.
The investment covers about 10 percent of the anticipated $3.1 million cost of the transload yard, which is projected to create 150 jobs and retain 200 others.
Gov. Kay Ivey said in a press release that DRA’s total investment of $3,448,973 for 13 projects within Alabama’s Black Belt region will be matched by $9.6 million in governmental spending and will attract an additional $440 million in leveraged private funds.
The new DRA investments will improve water and sewer systems, update transportation infrastructure and support entrepreneurship in communities across the region. These projects are expected to create or retain 1,091 jobs, train 200 individuals and affect over 5,100 families.
“Alabama is proud of our ever-important federal state partnership with the Delta Regional Authority,” the governor said. “We look forward to seeing these funds positively impact and improve the lives of Alabamians across the Black Belt. With these 13 new investment projects, communities will see improvements that are critical to economic growth throughout their areas.”
Funding for these projects is provided by the States’ Economic Development Assistance Program and the Community Infrastructure Fund.