The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has awarded nearly $1.8 million to 16 communities through its Strategic Planning Program, a funding opportunity providing communities within the DRA region with the necessary resources to develop strategies that maximize opportunities in public infrastructure, workforce development, and small business development and entrepreneurship. Through the Strategic Planning Program, DRA has invested approximately $3.3 million, to date, toward 29 projects in its final round of funding for the 2025 fiscal year.
“The Strategic Planning Program gives public entities across DRA’s footprint the ability to address long-standing challenges and to develop a course of action for economic growth and revitalization,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, Federal Co-Chairman. “This investment will better position communities to build stronger foundations for future development and sustained infrastructure improvements.”
With grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000, the Strategic Planning Program provides communities in the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions with the necessary resources to develop roadmaps for economic development, such as comprehensive economic development plans, preliminary engineering reports, utility rate studies, feasibility studies, workforce development plans and broadband deployment plans.
Second-Round 2025 Strategic Planning Program award recipients include:
ALABAMA
Macon County Economic Development Authority was awarded $150,000 to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of a possible expansion of the historic Moton Field Municipal Airport, in Tuskegee, Ala., to determine the anticipated benefits of an airport expansion and improvement project.
Town of Pickensville was awarded $60,000 to complete a comprehensive wastewater system plan and preliminary engineering report to address aging infrastructure concerns, meet regulatory compliance, and support future improvements and development.
ARKANSAS
Town of Wilmot was awarded more than $124,000 to develop a master plan for transforming the business district, of Wilmot, Ark., into an economic corridor that will leverage the town’s key assets while also revitalizing the area through entrepreneurship and business development.
City of Holly Grove was awarded $150,000 to complete a preliminary engineering report that will evaluate existing water and wastewater infrastructure needs to create a roadmap for implementing immediate and future infrastructure improvements.
ILLINOIS
Kinkaid-Reed’s Creek Conservancy District was awarded $50,000 to complete a comprehensive master plan for Kinkaid Lake that will assess current threats to water quality, identify long-term watershed protection strategies, and establish development guidelines for ensuring any future recreational or economic uses of the lake are compatible with water quality preservation.
Village of Evansville was awarded $50,000 to conduct an engineering study that will propose alternatives, solutions and cost estimates to address the community’s ongoing challenges with its water treatment plant to improve its water supply.
KENTUCKY
City of Slaughters was awarded $150,000 to complete a project engineering report consisting of a feasibility study, evaluation alternatives and an environmental analysis for a much-needed transportation infrastructure project that will address flood-control concerns.
Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court was awarded $150,000 to conduct a water and wastewater system regionalization/consolidation feasibility study for Muhlenberg County, Ky., which will assess the viability of consolidating the county’s five independent water systems and multiple wastewater systems to improve efficiency, service quality and financial sustainability.
LOUISIANA
Columbia Port Commission was awarded $147,600 to develop a regional strategic plan that will focus on assessing, coordinating, and expanding freight and infrastructure development along the Quachita-Black River Corridor to provide a data-informed framework for supporting investment prioritization, infrastructure modernization and economic participation.
Terrebonne Parish Department of Public Works was awarded $150,000 to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that will record and classify road conditions and proactively prioritize repairs before they result in costly emergencies.
Build Baton Rouge was awarded $140,000 to develop a comprehensive economic development strategic plan that will focus on revitalizing north Baton Rouge, helping to catalyze investments, improve quality of life, and address persistent disparities in this under-resourced area.
MISSISSIPPI
Town of Byhalia was awarded more than $100,000 to support a feasibility study for Byhalia’s Old School Commons to help determine business and workforce development uses for the community center and to identify the roles and responsibilities of the partners providing programming.
City of Grenada was awarded $150,000 to develop a comprehensive GIS mapping and condition assessment of its entire water distribution system to modernize infrastructure management, reduce service disruptions and attract economic growth.
MISSOURI
Ozarks Small Business Incubator was awarded more than $50,000 to develop a comprehensive strategic plan that will focus on strengthening business growth and entrepreneurship throughout the distressed and persistent poverty counties of West Plains.
TENNESSEE
Benton County Industrial Development Board was awarded $83,000 to develop a feasibility study that will provide valuable insights into fostering economic development in Benton County, Tenn., and surrounding areas.
Town of Mason was awarded nearly $76,000 to develop a preliminary engineering report for the second phase of its sewer system rehabilitation project, which will prioritize project needs and support residential growth, business recruitment and job creation.