Community & Economic Development
Gateway Area Development District strives to make our communities places where citizens want to live and work, both now and in the future. Gateway ADD helps local units of governments and other stakeholders develop and implement projects that increase the social and economic sustainability of the region. Our commitment is preserving the rich heritage of our region’s past while improving the area for future generations. This approach to community and economic development leverages investments from state and federal sources to supplement local resources.
The cornerstone of community and economic development in the Gateway region is our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. This document, developed with input from local elected officials and other private-sector stakeholders on an annual basis, identifies and prioritizes the needs of the region. The CEDS also provides the metric for evaluating the success of community and economic development in the Gateway region. A copy of the CEDS document is available for review here.
Gateway ADD staff has expertise in developing applications for and administering funds from a variety of state and federal sources including:
- Community Development Block Grants
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Economic Development Administration
- Land and Water Conservation Fund
- Recreational Trails Program
- Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
- Area Development Fund
- Local Government Economic Development Fund
Gateway ADD encourages economic development and the growth of small businesses by serving as a link to various state and local service providers. Businesses are encouraged to contact the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development for assistance with site selection, incentives and financing programs, & small business support programs. Free business consultation services are available through the MSU SBDC offices and the MSU Innovation Center. Once a business is ready to start or expand, there are many banks and traditional business lenders in the area as well as nontraditional lenders including: Gateway ADD RLF, MACED, & SKED. Workforce training and development services are available through BSSC, TENCO One-Stop Career Center, and Gateway Community Action.
