The Delta Regional Authority, through a program partnership with the Economic Development Administration, has announced $235,000 in new investments that have added 115 jobs to the Arkansas-Louisiana Multimodal Economic Corridor initiative.
The DRA is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to help create jobs, build communities and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development in 252 counties and parishes across eight states.
“DRA’s investment will make significant infrastructure improvements, encourage collaboration in the area, and enhance marketing efforts to help with job creation and economic development,” DRA Chairman Chris Masingill said in a news release. “Our primary role at DRA is to facilitate infrastructure improvements that help create jobs and give rural communities opportunities to compete effectively.”
The project focuses on a 90-mile transportation corridor that includes five counties in southeast Arkansas and four parishes in northeast Louisiana. Arkansas counties include Chicot, Desha, Drew, Bradley and Ashley. Louisiana parishes are East Carroll, Madison, West Carroll and Richland. The investment will be used to enhance Mississippi River port operations in Lake Providence, Louisiana, and the Madison Parish Port; the Yellow Bend Port on the Arkansas River; and the Port of Crossett on the Ouachita River, the DRA stated in a news release.
Jim Youngquist is the executive director at the Institute of Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Institute of Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is providing $100,000 worth of staffing services toward this effort. The Innovation Center for Louisiana Technical University and the institute combined to give $35,000 in indirect overhead.
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He hailed this news as a reflection of three years of work.
“I think we are just hitting the tip of the iceberg,” Youngquist said. “This is an effort in a rural region in two states. By most economic developers, their world ends at the state line. This region does not end at a state line. Business people are limited by the fact that the imaginary lines are a barrier. [The 115 workers] lives’ are not stopped at the state line. They cross the border for shopping. It is a fluid movement of people with jobs.”
Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana boast many agricultural businesses, Youngquist said. This region has a transportation infrastructure that a much more densely populated area would have.
“This area is even better because of access to the world through the Gulf of Mexico ports,” Youngquist said. “All the agri-business initiatives are shipped elsewhere. One idea is to market the great transportation infrastructure to build value-added businessees. Why not create jobs in Chicot County where the crops are being grown?
“This has been an eight-month process to get this grant from the DRA. As a result of this three-year effort, there have been jobs created. The DRA gave a $100,000 grant to the institute to create a bi-state coordinating council to market the infrastructure and job creation. … Secondarily, the council will serve as a convening point for the public to come together and discuss strategies.”
These jobs are permanent. The North Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad created 20 jobs. Myriant Chemicals created 80 jobs to its operations in Lake Providence, Louisiana. The Terral River Services added 15 jobs at Lake Providence Port.
Improvements also will be made to U.S. Highway 65 and Interstate 20.
“Infrastructure investments are critical to economic development,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman said in the news release. “This is great news for southern Arkansas that will improve the connection between rural communities and businesses beyond the region to help create additional job opportunities and development.”
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman said in the press release: “I am pleased the Delta Regional Authority and EDA will invest $235,000 in the Arkansas-Louisiana Multimodal Economic Corridor initiative. This is a unique opportunity which will create true economic benefits for years to come. The private sector jobs and investment that will result from these improvements will benefit the entire South Arkansas and Northern Louisiana region.”
Both Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson welcomed DRA’s investment.
“We are so grateful for our partnership with the Delta Regional Authority and the investments they leverage that make significant infrastructure improvements and job creation in Louisiana,” Edwards said in the release.
“Today’s announcement of $235,000 in new investments adding 115 new jobs to the Arkansas-Louisiana border will enhance the Arkansas-Louisiana Multimodal Economic Corridor initiative, the Mississippi River port operations in Lake Providence, La., as well as the quality of life in East Carroll, Madison, West Carroll and Richland parishes. Again, we are very grateful for their work in this area of our state.”
Hutchinson said, “DRA’s continued investments in the Arkansas Delta are emblematic of their dedication to the region. This investment in the Arkansas-Louisiana Multimodal Economic Corridor will encourage economic development by improving transportation infrastructure in rural southeast Arkansas. I look forward to seeing the positive effects these improvements will have on the Arkansas Delta region.”
These investments are funded by a joint program partnership through EDA’s Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program. DRA leadership works closely with the governor of each state and his board-designee to identify projects to receive investments, which are aligned with state economic development goals, according to the DRA.
Investments are also guided by EAA’s priorities: collaborative regional innovation, public/private partnerships, national strategic priorities, global competitiveness, environmentally sustainable development and underserved communities.
DRA has invested $163 million into more than 1,000 projects that have attracted total public and private investments of $3.3 billion. Overall, DRA investments have helped create and retain more than 26,000 jobs, train more than 7,200 workers for 21st Century jobs, and deliver water and sewer improvements to more than 64,000 residents.