A warm winter day greeted USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan as she visited the high desert community of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico.
Chandler Sanchez the Governor of Acoma Pueblo gave the Deputy Secretary a personal tour of the new $12-million dollar community center which is currently under construction.
Donning a hard hat Deputy Secretary Merrigan saw firsthand the progress of the construction. The facility is scheduled to be completed later this summer.
The financing for this project was made available through Recovery Act funds in the amount of an $11,409,600 loan and a $500,000 grant, through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facility (CF) program.
The 50,000 square foot facility will be a multi-purpose center which will include a gymnasium, a wellness center and the Pueblo’s council chambers along with offices for support activities which will serve the 5,000 residents of Acoma Pueblo.
Governor Sanchez described in detail to the Deputy Secretary how USDA Rural Development and the Recovery Act has been instrumental in providing funds for much needed projects, projects which create jobs at the Pueblo. The latest project is a new wastewater treatment plant that was just dedicated in December.
The newest project made possible by Rural Development and the Recovery Act is a Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) in the amount of $500,000 to pay for the infrastructure of a new manufacturing facility.
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Governor Chandler Sanchez (right) touring the new community center
For more information about this project and USDA's Recovery Act efforts go to http://www.usda.gov/recovery. Log on to USDA’s YouTube channel to view additional ARRA project highlights, videos are available at here.
