Concordia Sentinel: Vidalia awarded $1.2 million for technology center
U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., announced Friday that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded the City of Vidalia $1.2 million to build the Vidalia Technology Center (VTC).
The center will be a space for start-up and emerging businesses and provide 21st century broadband infrastructure to improve connectivity for existing local businesses and industry.
Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said the funds would be used in part to tear down the old city hall on the corner of Spruce and Carter, which is unusable due to black mold, and to construct a new building.
A line will be run across the bridge from Vidalia to Natchez to connect with fiber optic infrastructure in place there.
Copeland said “this will bring Vidalia into the 21stcentury.” He said every segment of the business community and every resident will benefit.
“With this, utility customers in Vidalia will be able to keep up with their electrical usage day by day,” Copeland said.
He said he believed the fiber optics would be available throughout town in three years.
Concordia Economic & Industrial Development District Executive Director Heather Malone said the Vidalia Technology Center is part of the overall Vidalia Broadband Initiative.
“The initiative as a whole is going to provide our area businesses and residents with quicker and more reliable Internet service,” Malone said. “This gives the business community the ability to do business more efficiently and it ultimately improves our residents' quality of life.”
She said “having improved technology infrastructure allows us to attract technology driven industries to our area, which ultimately allows us to diversify our economy.”
More specifically, Malone said The Technology Center “will give our entrepreneurs a resource to grow their technology based ideas into thriving businesses. Concordia Parish residents have always had a knack for entrepreneurship. We have always founds ways to create our own opportunities when few opportunities were available. The new technology center will play to the new entrepreneur that has a technology based product.”
Last November, Landrieu wrote the EDA a letter supporting the construction of the center.
“The City of Vidalia has actively sought resources to address the void in their broadband infrastructure, and the VTC is a critical step in that process,” Landrieu said. “I am happy to see that the Economic Development Administration recognizes this need, and I will see the construction of the VTC through to completion.
“The VTC will be the cornerstone for the long term Vidalia Broadband Initiative, and the City of Vidalia envisions this center as a means to increase job creation and economic diversity by fostering an entrepreneurial and innovation climate.”
The EDA funding "will be a tremendous asset for the City of Vidalia and will help us begin construction of our new Technology and Broadband Center,” Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said.
“The Center will bring our city into the 21st century and help us to prepare for high speed internet. This could not have been possible without Sen. Landrieu and we are so thankful for her continued support throughout the years. We are also grateful for the assistance from the EDA Regional Director, Pedro R. Garza, and the Economic Development Administration.”
The U.S. Economic Development Administration says its investment policy seeks to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and to build durable regional economies throughout the country by concentrating upon two key factors: innovation and regional collaboration.
