A $1.7 million U.S. Department of Commerce grant to the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau will help build a visitors center in the region.
A visitors facility will help with the organization and flow of visitors to Ivy Green, the Helen Keller birthplace in Tuscumbia, and other local attractions. The Commerce grant will be matched with $829,000 in local funds.
“President Biden’s American Rescue Plan delivers federal resources to communities to ensure our nation not only recovers from the pandemic, but builds a better America for the future,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This project will provide the infrastructure Colbert County needs to stimulate its tourism economy.”
Alejandra Castillo, assistant secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, called travel and tourism important for local economies across the country. “This EDA investment will improve the visitor experience at the Helen Keller birthplace, the Tennessee Valley Art Museum and other local attractions, creating new economic opportunity in the region,” Castillo said.
