A SEEDS grant totaling $2.85 million will help the City of Auburn expand Auburn Technology Park West, enhancing the East Alabama city’s attractiveness for new business and investment projects.

The grant is funded through the Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) Act, a program launched in 2024 that supports the development of industry-ready sites across Alabama.

Auburn, receiving SEEDS funding for the first time, is one of 29 recipients of a second round of funding from the State Industrial Development Authority.

Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the SEEDS grant for Auburn Technology Park West is a strategic investment that will enhance the industrial site and strengthen Auburn’s ability to attract high-caliber companies.

“Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature have been steadfast in their support of programs like SEEDS, which play a vital role in ensuring our communities are well-positioned for new business opportunities,” McNair said.

“By improving infrastructure and site readiness, we are laying the foundation for long-term economic growth and job creation in the region.”

The Industrial Development Board of the City of Auburn, as the grant applicant, will provide matching funds, bringing the total funding to $5.7 million for the infrastructure package for the industrial park.

“This funding will allow us to finish a crucial section of the expansion of the Auburn Technology Park West,” Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said. “We appreciate the leadership Governor Ivey and state legislators provided in making it a legislative priority, to make this local funding possible.

“The impact of these new jobs and investment will be felt throughout East Alabama.”

Angela Smith of the Alabama Department of Commerce, right, helped Auburn officials celebrate receiving a $2.85 million SEEDS grant. (contributed)

Projections from the city’s economic development team show that the resulting industrial sites will trigger approximately $400 million of private investment in Auburn and create an estimated 600 jobs in the first 10 years.

“We have 12 industries, representing the aerospace, automotive and medical industries, occupying the primary sites of Auburn Technology Park West,” said Phillip Dunlap, economic development director for the City of Auburn.

“The City of Auburn recognized the need for additional industrial land and provided the funding to secure the tract of land that this grant will help bring online,” he said.

Infrastructure construction for the expansion is scheduled to begin this summer.

This second round of SEEDS grants will support industrial site development in major cities like Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, as well as rural communities in counties such as Greene, Fayette and Macon.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.