PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - The cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls have received a $230,000 federal grant to create a joint economic development action plan.
The funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration will be used to develop a detailed economic development plan to guide growth in the two industrial cities and examine existing workforce strengths and needs, according to a statement from local and federal officials.
The plan will include a feasibility study for the creation of a new workforce training and innovation center.
The grant will also allow the cities to explore options for redeveloping a vacant 12-acre lot that was formerly the site of the Osram Sylvania light bulb factory in Central Falls.
The adjacent cities have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the ongoing pandemic, this project has also taken on a new significance, particularly the workforce development and training center study component, which could be very helpful in identifying the job training and retraining needs of our workforce currently and post-pandemic,” Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement.
Pawtucket and Central Falls already share a joint planning commission tasked with supporting the development of the Conant Thread District that straddles the cities.
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