The City of Wynne and Wynne Economic Development are both seeking grant funds from the federal Economic Development Administration.
Wynne Mayor Jennifer Hobbs said yesterday that the city is seeking some $1.2 million in unspent 2018 disaster relief money. That money would be used to build a road to connect Falls Boulevard to Lemons Street by Evolve Bank. Mayor Hobbs said the city has obtained a right-of-way from the bank and is working with another private landowner. A study would also be done to see if another stop light is needed. The total cost of the project is expected to be around $1.5 million. Mayor Hobbs said the city would know in October whether the funding is approved.
The mayor’s comments came during the monthly meeting of the Wynne Economic Development board last night. Wynne Economic Development CEO Bevin Hunter talked about additional funding from the EDA. Wynne EDC is partnering with the Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State and the East Arkansas Planning and Development District to take part in EDA’s Recompete pilot program. The program announced in June would invest $200 million towards projects that spur economic activity in geographically diverse and persistently distressed communities nationwide. Hunter said that if approved, Wynne would be a key piece of a regional grant. EDA would provide upwards of $750,000 for phase one, which would be the planning phase, with another $20 to $50 million dedicated to projects in phase two. An announcement on the grant is expected next month.
In other news, the WEDC board again tabled a request from Hicks Brothers Welding. The company is seeking around $150,000 to purchase a piece of equipment. Hunter said the equipment would allow the company to expand with at least two more jobs added each year. The board asked for a company representative to be at the October meeting.
Hunter also gave an update on several meetings she recently attended. One trip was the Mid-America Aerospace and Defense Summit in Rogers. At the meeting, Hunter met with representatives from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Governor Sarah Sanders. Hunter said defense is currently the state’s largest export, though those companies note they are having a difficult time finding a reliable workforce.
