Big Sandy Area Development District Inc.

Walkable, bikeable communities with easy access to trails make regions like the Big Sandy great places to live. Today we are with the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission sharing ideas to improve our own bike walk assets. Community development IS economic development.

?? Exciting News! ?? We are beyond thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a $400K grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and an additional $100K from the KPEGG grant through Kentucky Power to launch our FIRE (Fueling Innovation, Revitalization, and Entrepreneurship) program! This $500K initiative will allow us to leverage cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence to fill vacant storefronts and give a major boost to existing small businesses across our five-county region. ?? We know how crucial small businesses are to the health of our local economy. With only a 4.4% small business-to-population ratio in our counties (compared to 10% nationally), there’s work to be done. FIRE will help us "burn down" barriers to small business development and spark new opportunities for growth and success in our community! ?? Together, we are igniting the future of entrepreneurship in our region! #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #EconomicDevelopment #FIRE

?? Exciting News from Big Sandy Area Development District! ?? We are thrilled to announce that at the Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR) Summit today, it was unveiled that the TEK Center will receive $3.18 million through the AMLER (Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization) program for the construction of their new campus in Magoffin County! ?? This significant investment will create 36 new jobs and serve over 400 students annually, reinforcing our commitment to economic revitalization in the region. At Big Sandy ADD, we believe in the power of education and trades to shape a brighter future for our community. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this grant possible. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a stronger, more prosperous future! Congratulations to TEK Center!

?? Exciting News! ?? We are beyond thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a $400K grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and an additional $100K from the KPEGG grant through Kentucky Power to launch our FIRE (Fueling Innovation, Revitalization, and Entrepreneurship) program! This $500K initiative will allow us to leverage cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence to fill vacant storefronts and give a major boost to existing small businesses across our five-county region. ?? We know how crucial small businesses are to the health of our local economy. With only a 4.4% small business-to-population ratio in our counties (compared to 10% nationally), there’s work to be done. FIRE will help us "burn down" barriers to small business development and spark new opportunities for growth and success in our community! ?? Together, we are igniting the future of entrepreneurship in our region! #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #EconomicDevelopment #FIRE

Big things are coming in the Big Sandy! Stay tuned ??

We are extremely excited about this progress and all the potential this project offers for the region!

We were honored today to have Congresmen Hal Rogers attend our board meeting and share a legislative update. Congressmen Rogers has been serving the 5th District since 1981 and is responsible for millions of dollars of funding the region now benefits from. We were lucky to have the Congrssmen in attendance today and are thankful for his decades of hard work!

Join us for a free one-day brownfield grant workshop to learn how to utilize services offered by federal and state brownfield programs. As a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), there is a historic level of funding available to address brownfield properties and we want that funding in the hands of Kentucky communities!

Yesterday, our team had the pleasure of attending the One East Kentucky Investors Luncheon. It’s always inspiring to hear about the incredible work OEK is doing to showcase and market the industrial assets of our region. A big thank you to Christi Brown, Colby Kirk, and Zach Lawrence for their dedication and hard work in driving Eastern Kentucky forward! https://www.oneeastky.com/ #IndustiralDevelopment #EKYForward #BlackandWhite

?? Ground is moving for our Pinnacle Park Project! ?? Pinnacle Park is a 200,000 sq ft. build-ready site pad in the East Kentucky Business Park. This project will create immense industrial opportunities for the region by significantly enhancing development in one of our area's premier parks. We’re excited about the future that the Pinnacle Park Project presents and can’t wait to see the positive impact it will have on our community! ?? #PinnacleParkProject #EconomicDevelopment #EastKentucky #IndustrialGrowth #CommunityFuture