June 01, 2018

Duckworth, Durbin Announce $210,000 for Strategic Economic Planning in Southwestern Illinois

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $210,000 in federal funding today to help create jobs and encourage economic development throughout Southwestern Illinois. This funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Planning Program, which assists communities as they develop and implement plans to enhance their local economies.

“It’s important for local community and business leaders to have access to the resources they need to create opportunities that drive economic development in Southwestern Illinois,” Duckworth said. “This funding will go a long way toward helping revitalize local economies, and I will continue working closely with Senator Durbin to secure the investments that hard-working Illinoisans in every part of the state deserve.”

“This federal funding will help give Southern Illinois the tools to reach its economic goals and incentivize local investment,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure that our state’s rural communities have access to these critical federal investments that strengthen infrastructure and drive growth.”

Under today’s announcement, the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan & Regional Planning Commission, which includes the counties of Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington, will receive $210,000. The Commission will use the funding to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) in coordination with the EDA - a process that brings the public and private sectors working together to produce a blueprint for economic prosperity that improves the quality of life for community members throughout the region.

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