US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3 million grant to the City of Chelsea, Massachusetts, to make infrastructure improvements to roadways that serve the community. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 1,000 jobs, retain 1,200 jobs, and spur $8.6 million in private investment.

“We are grateful to Secretary Ross for recognizing the tremendous importance the Chelsea Produce Center has to the Massachusetts and New England food supply chain,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. “These improvements are a long time coming and will literally and figuratively pave the way for growth in commerce and jobs in Chelsea and its surrounding communities.”

The project to improve the Beacham/Williams Street Corridor directly impacts the New England produce cluster, a vital industrial area with food distribution facilities and other wholesale shipping businesses, which serves New England and Eastern Canada. The corridor is home to over 117 small businesses, as well as the Chelsea Food Distribution Center and the New England Produce Terminal. This project will assist the city in recruiting businesses that offer higher-paying jobs.

“The president and I have recognized the extraordinary challenges facing countless American communities with an acute need to improve old and outdated infrastructure,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Thanks to the persistence of local leadership, this project will help provide the modern infrastructure that local businesses need to grow and thrive.”

The mission of the US 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 US Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for US workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.