A $300,000 grant awarded Gov. Robert Bentley will give interstate travelers another option on where to stop, provide additional revenue for Lowndes County and help create 30 local jobs.
The Community Development Block Grant will provide infrastructure necessary for Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores Inc. to construct a refueling center and convenience/food store off Interstate 65 at the Tyson Road (Exit 158) intersection in Letohatchee.
“Job creation is my number one priority and this grant will create new jobs in Lowndes County as well as provide upgrades to the infrastructure,” Bentley said. “This investment will also encourage potential development in the future and I am pleased to play a role in this project.”
CDBG funds will be used to provide water service to the project which will be constructed on property east of the interstate. Love’s, an Oklahoma based company, has 12 travel stops in Alabama, employing more than 600 people.
The grant is being administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“A job changes a person’s life, and the location of a new business in Lowndes County is welcomed news because it provides a good opportunity for citizens in the community,” ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. said. “ADECA continually partners with local governments across the state on opportunities to make our state stronger, and I am honored ADECA could partner with the Lowndes County Commission in this important venture.”
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, infrastructure upgrades, recreation, energy conservation, and water resource management.
Bentley notified Carnell McAlpine, chairman of the Lowndes County Commission, that the grant had been approved.
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