On June 27, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a $5.5 Million grant to the City of Plant City for the construction of a 2.75-mile loop extension of Henderson Way, allowing access to approximately 310 acres of commercial and light industrial development sites. The project, south of Highway 92 and east of South Park Road, includes construction of roadways, a potable water distribution system, a water collections system, a reclaimed water distribution system, electrical infrastructure, and commercial utilities. The project is expected to bring more than 2,600 new jobs to the Plant City area and support the retention of nearly 1,000 existing jobs.
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, today’s awards to the City of Umatilla and Plant City focus on Florida’s future by supporting site-ready infrastructure, inspiring new business growth, and workforce development,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Strategic investments in key infrastructure growth, paired with Florida’s booming talent pipeline, make it possible for businesses to relocate and expand in Florida—benefitting Florida’s economy and the families in these communities.”
Steve Morey, President of the Plant City Economic Development Corporation accepted the grant. “This grant is going to go a long way towards economic development in Plant City,” he said at the presentation. “It’s a strong community. The people know each other. The people care about each other. We have strong community organizations. We have strong leadership who want what is best for its citizens. This opportunity will create substantial job opportunities, new capital investment, and will generate revenue towards services for Plant City residents. We are grateful that Governor DeSantis has selected this project, and look forward to working in coordination with the State of Florida and City of Plant City to put this investment to work.” The Plant City Economic Development Corporation partnered with the City of Plant City to facilitate the grant application and process.
The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is an economic development program designed to promote public infrastructure and workforce training across the state. Proposals are reviewed by Florida Commerce, and are chosen by Governor DeSantis to meet the demands for workforce training or infrastructure needs in communities around the state.
“The DEO (Department of Economic Opportunity) grant that was presented Tuesday by the governor is a specifically-targeted grant for the Lakeside Station Loop Road project,” said Bill McDaniel, City Manager of Plant City. “We’ve been awarded the funds and we are extremely appreciative and grateful for that. Now we await the grant terms and conditions. We will go through those and move forward once we have the actual grant documents.” The grant terms and conditions give specifics about the grant: “What you can do, how you can do it, and when you can do it,” McDaniel added. “All grants have terms and conditions. They don’t just send you a check for $5 million. They convert that $5 million to a grant. Then you get sent the terms and conditions. You have to go through those to see what you have to do to draw down the funds.” So, even though funding has been granted, City staffers have a lot more work to do on the back end to make sure all funds are obtained and used appropriately. Depending on how long it takes the state to send paperwork, and the terms and conditions of the grant, a start date for the project is TBD (To Be Determined). It could take a few weeks, or it could take a few months, before construction will begin.