Around $2.4 million in federal funding is being made available to the Taos Pueblo for the construction of a long-planned heritage center.
The funding is coming through the Economic Development Administration under the auspices of the Department of Commerce and will be added to funding that the project has already secured via the State of New Mexico.
The EDA is tasked with providing support to communities defined as economically distressed. Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the EDA has received up to $1.5 billion in funding for communities dealing with the pandemic.
In announcing the award for the Taos Pueblo project, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said President Biden is “committed to supporting Tribal communities in their recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.”
Additional funding to the tune of $2 million has also been secured for the construction of a vocational training complex at the Picuris Pueblo.
The Taos Pueblo Heritage Center is slated to go up on a more than 14-acre site just to the north of the Taos Plaza. The project in its entirety will include a hotel, plaza, and learning spaces.
By Garry Boulard
