On Friday, August 17, at 1:00pm, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich will join U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Austin Regional Director Jorge Ayala and Los Lunas Mayor Charles Griego, as well as a host of other dignitaries, at a news conference to officially kick-off the project to extend water utilities to the Central New Mexico Rail Park. Funded in part by a $1.3 million U.S. Department of Commerce EDA investment, the infrastructure will bolster rail-served manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution industries and is expected to create 3,000 new jobs.
“Economic development depends on 21st-century infrastructure improvements like this,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. “We need to level the playing field to help smaller communities compete with larger cities. Forward-looking investments that connect New Mexicans to new job growth opportunities and attract new private capital are what encourage the creation of new businesses.”
“Economic development in rural areas requires a true collaboration among all stakeholders,” said Jorge Ayala, U.S. EDA Austin Regional Director. “This is a great project that will create good paying jobs, and we commend the Village of Los Lunas and all of the stakeholders who have helped bring this project to fruition.”
Village officials and developers, along with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway broke ground in December of 2016 on a 1,400 acre rail-served industrial park designed to help the region become the nation’s next major global transportation and logistics hub.
“This has been a great year for the Village of Los Lunas,” said Los Lunas Mayor Charles Griego. “The support of our Congressional Delegation as well the U.S. Economic Development Administration is key in making this project a reality.”
The Village will match the federal dollars with $1M of local LEDA funds, much of which has been collected due to the economic activity spurred on by the construction of Facebook’s data center. The Mid-Region Council of Governments assisted in securing the federal funds through its regional planning and coordination efforts.
“The MRCOG works best when we can bring people together to identify and support opportunities that strengthen our local and regional economy”, said Dewey Cave, Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments.
Los Lunas Infrastructure Investment News Conference
Friday, August 17th at 1:00p.m.
Village of Los Lunas Council Chambers
660 Main Street, Los Lunas
Contact: Augusta Meyers, Communications Mgr., MRCOG (505) 239-8612, ameyers@mrcog-nm.gov
About the Mid-Region Council of Governments
The Mid-Region Council of Governments is a planning agency that serves numerous counties, municipalities, and tribal communities in Central New Mexico. MRCOG provides planning services to its member governments in the areas of transportation, agriculture, workforce development, employment growth, land-use, water, and economic development.