The U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently awarded Lycoming County a $5.6 million grant to repair a structurally unsound I-wall located within the Northeast levee in Williamsport.
The grant will be matched by $1.4 million in local funding. The funds will be used to repair steel-reinforced wall panels to prevent catastrophic flooding.
“The greater Williamsport area has been working for years on flood protection measures to better safeguard the community,” U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said. “This grant will help modernize and improve the Greater Williamsport Levee to protect Williamsport’s bustling economy that supports thousands of jobs in the downtown business district. It will also give confidence to businesses and industry wanting to expand operations in Williamsport. I was glad to support Lycoming County’s application for this grant, and am pleased the U.S. Department of Commerce saw fit to award it to this deserving community.”
The project is forecasted to retain 1,300 jobs, create new 240 positions, and generate $425 million in private investment.
Nearly 120,000 people live in the greater Williamsport area.
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 provided the EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance Program funds for disaster relief and recovery.