MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a $250,000 grant to provide new jobs in the city of Good Hope.
The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will be combined with a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded earlier by Gov. Ivey. The two grants will provide infrastructure that will enable the construction of a Love’s Travel Stop at the intersection of Interstate 65 and Cullman County Road 222.
“This utilities infrastructure project will lay the groundwork for new jobs and new commerce for the city of Good Hope and will likely lead to more development in the area,” Gov. Ivey said. “I commend the city’s leaders for helping to make this project a reality, and I am pleased to provide support.”
The Love’s Travel Stop will include a convenience store and restaurant and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once opened, it will employ 35 people.
ARC and CDBG funds will be used to upgrade sewer lines and install a pump station. Those improvements will also prime the area for future commercial growth.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama.
“The Appalachian Regional Commission and the Community Development Block Grant programs have for years helped municipalities and counties get more mileage out of infrastructure projects that support job creation and economic development,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “I join Gov. Ivey in congratulating the city on this new development.”
ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. The agency’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Cullman County, are part of the ARC region and eligible for funds.
ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
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