By The News Service of Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday awarded $9 million for infrastructure improvements linked to the Birdon America shipbuilding initiative at the Port of Pensacola.
The Birdon initiative carries a $275 million price tag to build a 400,000-square-foot advanced shipbuilding facility at the port, which is expected to create 2,000 jobs after the facility opens in late 2027.
“I think the vast majority will probably be people from within this community,” DeSantis said during an event at the port to announce the funding. “And if you do the right things on the job training, leading into that pipeline, it’s going to be a natural fit.”
The work is intended to support U.S. Navy and defense contracts.
Earlier this year, the project was awarded a $76 million Triumph Gulf Coast grant, which is money from a $2 billion settlement over the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill directed to eight Northwest Florida counties.
The funding comes from the Job Growth Grant Fund, used by DeSantis to back infrastructure projects and workforce training programs.
The budget for the current fiscal year includes $40 million for the fund, with a requirement that half the new dollars be held in reserves until a new governor is seated in January.
Be the first to leave a comment on this article.