WASHINGTON (October 21, 2024) – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced Louisiana will receive $4,084,100.00 from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to boost economic development and improve the quality of life for Louisiana communities and residents thanks to his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“This is great news for Louisiana and an investment in our economy and workforce,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Thanks to the Infrastructure Law, which I helped negotiate, we can expect to see even more dollars coming our way.”
The 11 new investment projects will improve water and sewer systems, update transportation infrastructure, and bolster electrical reliability for 18,000 residents in communities across Louisiana.
Funding for these projects is provided by the States’ Economic Development Assistance Program, which provides direct investment into community-based and regional projects to support basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, workforce training and education, and small businesses development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and the Community Infrastructure Fund, which targets physical infrastructure projects that help build safer, more resilient communities in the Delta region. DRA coordinates directly with the Office of the Governor for the State of Louisiana and its local development districts for program funding implementation.
Grant Awarded | Recipient | Project Description |
$509,000.00 | City of West Monroe | This grant will provide federal funding to update and improve 770 feet of sewer infrastructure in Downtown West Monroe to help bolster the city’s growth, development and economic sustainability. |
$509,000.00 | Town of Maurice | This grant will provide federal funding to make water system improvements to service the town’s rapidly increasing population, remedy existing public health concerns and violations, and improve residents’ quality of life. |
$509,000.00 | North Desoto Water System | This grant will provide federal funding to construct a new drinking water booster station to serve the Town of Stonewall, and other surrounding areas, to improve water storage and pumping capacity for the purposes of alleviating pressure on existing undersized stations, ensuring reliable water supply, and supporting new residential and economic developments. |
$509,000.00 | City of Minden | This grant will provide federal funding for a water main replacement project to guarantee that the city’s distribution system continues to receive sufficient water and to improve the overall reliability, sustainability and fire protection of the system. |
$454,000.00 | Town of Marion | This grant will provide federal funding to repair, rehabilitate and improve a 64-year-old sewer lift station to address poor conditions and health-code violations linked to the existing station and to provide and maintain adequate sewer service for residents. |
$418,100.00 | City of Kaplan | This grant will provide federal funding to support a sewer system improvement project, which involves a comprehensive rehabilitation of the system to improve the resiliency and functionality of the city’s sewer collection system. |
$375,000.00 | Ouachita Parish | This grant will provide federal funding for an emergency operations center renovation project, a critical infrastructure project that will play a vital role in ensuring effective emergency management and response capabilities in the region. |
$304,000.00 | Ochsner LSU Health – Monroe Medical Center | This grant will provide federal funding to install a new electrical distribution system to improve the center’s electrical infrastructure, resulting in increased electrical reliability and capacity and expansion of community services. |
$218,000.00 | Village of Plaucheville | This grant will provide federal funding to construct a new water main, which will reduce service disruptions and improve the water system for the entire village. |
$199,000.00 | Town of Lockport | This grant will provide federal funding to make critical improvements to the sewer and wastewater treatment systems that are foundational to the town’s ability to sustain its rich Cajun cultural heritage, a livable community, and the increasingly important tourism economy. |
$80,000.00 | Town of Waterproof | This grant will provide federal funding for a sewer improvement project that will replace the backup pumps inside of five sewer lift stations, providing additional capacity to meet usage demands from the town’s residents, businesses and detention center while also addressing regulations set by the Department of Environmental Quality. |