Lake County is one of five recipients of money awarded by Gov. Rick Scott through the Florida Job Growth Fund.
Established by the governor and the Florida Legislature in 2017, the fund provides $85 million for improving public infrastructure and enhancing workforce training in the Sunshine State.
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners is receiving $2.5 million of the $9 million awarded by Scott on Friday. The money is targeted for widening and extending Round Lake Road in the Wolf Branch Innovation District. That will, in turn, allow for the opening up of more than 1,300 acres to attract businesses in a number of targeted industries, including a mix of office, warehouse, advanced manufacturing, technology, and research-and-development companies.
Since July, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has received more than 100 proposals requesting more than $620 million in funding. Friday’s announcement reflects a total of more than $151 million in funding awarded to 50 communities across the state, including more than $42 million to 16 rural communities.
“With our focus on local communities through programs like the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, every single county in Florida has experienced a drop in its unemployment rate over the past eight years,” said Scott, who will assume his new role as Florida State senator in January. “This means that more families across our great state are able to live their dreams. I’m proud of our work to support Florida families and I will never stop fighting to make sure that Florida is the best place in the nation to get a great job and raise a family.”
Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, agreed.
“The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is bringing much-needed investments in infrastructure and workforce development to regions across the state,” she said. “We are proud to help these Florida communities attract businesses and support their workforce.”
For more information about the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, visit www.FloridaJobs.org/JobGrowth.
