Photo by Harley Brown, UM-Flint student
LANSING, Mich. – Recently, Governor Whitmer announced that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, to construct the university’s new College of Innovation and Technology. This EDA grant, to be matched with $4.9 million in local funds, is expected to create 126 jobs, retain 175 jobs and generate $10.4 million in private investment.
“We are grateful to Secretary Raimondo and the Biden Administration for investing in University of Michigan-Flint’s College of Innovation and Technology,” said Whitmer. “This grant will help us usher in a new era of prosperity by supporting over 300 good-paying jobs and generating $10.4 million in private investment.”
“The University of Michigan-Flint is a pillar of excellence in the community and continues to offer residents access to a college degree as an investment in their future,” said Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “This grant to build the College of Innovation and Technology will create jobs and strengthens UM-Flint as a higher institution committed to student success. The city of Flint looks forward to supporting this work and our continued partnership to get residents back to work and back to school.”
“Thank you to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for their support for a new College of Innovation and Technology building at UM-Flint,” said University of Michigan-Flint Chancellor Deba Dutta.
“This catalytic investment in support of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology development will serve as the entryway for industry and community partners to advance economic growth in the region,” Dutta added. “We are grateful to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and other UM-Flint partners for their generous financial support of this transformational project. Our industry partners have been instrumental in the success of this proposal, and we continue to benefit from their shared vision and collaboration as we help prepare the Flint region and the state of Michigan with a workforce for Industry 4.0.”
“Programs housed in the new building will help to build the regional talent pipeline by providing upskilling and reskilling programs in high demand areas such as cybersecurity, AI, mobility and other emerging technology areas,” Dutta said. :The facility will help grow university training and research expertise, expand problem-solving capacity of graduates and validate market-ready innovation.”
“The pandemic exposed the need for economic diversification and resiliency in many regions across the United States,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment on the University of Michigan-Flint campus will fuel innovation and entrepreneurship and ensure our nation recovers from the pandemic and builds back stronger.”
“This catalytic investment in Flint, Michigan, will connect industry partners with the university to spark job creation,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project will provide for the construction of the new 17,000-square foot Innovation and Technology Center, a one-stop business gateway for training and research, innovation and job recruitment.”
This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov) The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
