EDA Grant helps to create 350 jobs in Rochelle
Economic Development Administration awards $2.4 Infrastructure grant
Rochelle, IL: Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, John E. Bryson, announced today that the City of Rochelle has been awarded a $2.4 million Infrastructure grant. “We are very thankful for the support of the Economic Development Administration in securing this grant. This will allow us to expand our industrial corridors in Rochelle which will add 350 jobs today and hundreds more as the industrial base grows.” said Jason Anderson the Economic Development Director for the City of Rochelle. The grant will fund the construction of ~ 4 miles of the City of Rochelle Railroad System and increase the capacity of water and sewer utilities which will allow future industrial development.
The City of Rochelle Railroad currently serves eight industries and switches on and off of the main lines of the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroads. The new rail infrastructure will provide rail service to two new industries that are currently under construction. Nippon Sharyo, a Japanese Rail Car manufacturing company and Coated Sands Solutions, a sand mining and processing company, both of these rail served industries expect to be operational later this year.
“Our Economic Development Department has been working closely with the EDA for nearly a year on the grant application. We want to give special thanks to Congressman Manzullo, along with Senator Durbin, Senator Kirk and Congressman Hultgren, who all were instrumental in assisting the City on this important project. ” said Mayor Chet Olson.
“I want to congratulate the City of Rochelle and its Economic Development Department for their hard work in securing this extremely competitive federal grant,” Manzullo said. “It will help create 350 much-needed jobs in Rochelle today and many more in the future, opening up 2,000 more acres to industrial development.
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