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IDA lists $14M-plus in recent grants, issues RFP for $391,380 Wi-Fi project
Summary
Hardee County staff reported more than $14 million in grant awards and applications (Commerce, Job Growth, EDA, HUD), and the board authorized an RFP for a $391,380 public Wi-Fi deployment from Main Street to the fairgrounds and an evaluation committee.
Hardee County Development Group staff told the IDA board the organization has secured and brokered several grants totaling more than $14 million across partner projects and submitted additional requests under review.
Recent awards and amounts cited by staff include: a $1,478,822 Rural Infrastructure Fund award for Gardens at Midtown parking design/construction; a $2,306,000 Job Growth Infrastructure Fund award for Commerce Park phase 2 infrastructure; a $6,000,000 Job Growth Infrastructure Fund award to build a publicly owned 40,000-square-foot manufacturing hub in the Commerce Park; and a $391,380 Florida Capital Projects Fund award for digital broadband/public Wi-Fi from Main Street to the fairgrounds. Staff also said they were economic brokers for an EDA grant that funded the Highway 17 corridor study (federal share $192,000; IDA contribution $48,000).
On the Wi-Fi project, staff recommended issuing RFP 2025-2 for public Wi-Fi infrastructure design, engineering and installation, including a local-preference scoring adjustment and advertisement in the local paper plus online postings. Responses are due by 3 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2025 and will be evaluated by a committee of Sarah Evers, Kristen Chapman and Lee Michael; the committee will return a staff recommendation to the board.
Board members asked about timelines and reporting requirements for reimbursements. Staff said some grants (for example, the Commerce Park extension) have extended reporting windows (a 10-year reporting period was cited) and that many awards are reimbursement-based, requiring careful cash-flow coordination. The board approved the Wi-Fi RFP and the selection committee by motion.
