Gray Rohrer
The town of Callahan, a small burg of 1,372 just north of Jacksonville, will receive $4 million to build a clean water plant, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.
The money will come from the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund, a pot used by DeSantis for job training and infrastructure projects, and will be used to expand capacity at the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park in Callahan. The project will help bring more jobs to the area and boost manufacturing jobs, DeSantis said.
“We want to build more stuff in the U.S. We want to build more stuff in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said before handing over the check to local officials.
Audra Wallace, president of the JAXUSA Partnership, an economic development agency for the Jacksonville area, said the port and transportation infrastructure has lured logistics companies and other manufacturers to the region.
“The appeal of doing business in Florida has been especially evident over the last few years as companies are searching for lower cost of doing business, a desirable infrastructure and an available and skilled workforce,” Wallace said. “Available land in Crawford Diamond Industrial Park in Nassau County is one such reason for the attention and attraction that these companies are looking to invest capital and create jobs in northeast Florida.”
Lawmakers provided $50 million in the Job Growth Grant Fund for the current fiscal year that ends June 30, and funded the program at the same amount for the upcoming fiscal year.
