WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) this week announced that the City of Gulfport and the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport have been awarded $3,893,247 in federal grants designed to spur community and economic development.
In a statement issued, the senators remarked on the opportunity that lies within these grants.
“These grants are investments in Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Cochran. “This funding, with its focus on economic and community development, can benefit businesses and families throughout the region.”
Wicker said this is an opportunity for advancement on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“I am pleased that we are working to enhance our Gulf Coast with these federal grants, which will aid local housing developments, improve airport infrastructure, and promote safety,” Wicker said.
The largest of the three individual grants will provide $3,005,248 for runway rehabilitation at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. This Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program award will support the rehabilitation of 5,500 feet of the runway to maintain structural integrity, minimize foreign object debris, and increase passenger safety.
Additionally, a $581,068 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was awarded to the City of Gulfport to support community development projects near the Gulfport Job Corps Center. These flexible grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are designed to better enable local governments to expand economic opportunities and housing availability, especially for low and middle-income residents.
The City of Gulfport will also receive a $306,931 grant from the HUD HOME program, which provides funding to help local governments implement housing strategies designed to promote home ownership and increase affordable housing opportunities. The funding is expected to be used for public housing rehabilitation.
Along with the City of Gulfport and the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport being awarded with grants, the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, near the intersection of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties has received a federal grant for more than $1 million to increase passenger safety.
The grant, totaling $1,063,485, was provided through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program. It will allow the Golden Triangle Regional Airport Authority to rehabilitate the airport’s apron, which is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, loaded, and boarded.
“The Golden Triangle Regional Airport is an important asset for an area that is growing as a hub for technology, research and manufacturing. I am pleased that local authorities will have these resources to improve the efficiency of this airport,” Cochran said.
“This federal investment represents a continued commitment to improving the existing airport infrastructure at Golden Triangle,” Wicker said. “These enhancements, along with the construction of a third new industrial park, highlight the tremendous economic progress being made in the area.”
