Imperial awarded $1.2 million in congressionally directed spending

IMPERIAL – The City of Imperial announced that it has been awarded $1.2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Imperial Community Kitchen Incubator Project in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.

According to a city of Imperial press release, Imperial submitted the project under the FY23 Congressionally Directed Spending solicitation last April. Imperial’s project was earmarked by both U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla and awarded as part of the FY23 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill.

“I was proud to help secure $1.2 million for the Imperial County Community Kitchen Incubator to help give small businesses and local restaurants every opportunity to survive and thrive in the modern economy,” Senator Feinstein said in the press release. “This project will go a long way to support Imperial County’s local chefs and businesses and create new jobs in the region.”

“I worked to secure this $1.2 million in federal funding because it will help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground and create better paying jobs in the culinary sector for Imperial residents,” Senator Alex Padilla said in the release. “Supporting programs like the Community Kitchen Incubator project, which leverage public-private partnerships, will grow our local economy to give more people in Imperial new career opportunities.”

The Community Kitchen Incubator Project would establish public/private partnerships with local developers and landlords to afford prospective entrepreneurs wanting to test their restaurant concepts. The City of Imperial will provide low-cost entry into the market for micro-business owners wishing to produce high-quality, safe, and marketable products, according to the release.

The broad use of the program would provide educational opportunities such as culinary training and skill building to increase employment in the culinary arts sector. Per the release, this will ultimately establish newly added products that improve the health and lifestyle choices in retail markets throughout the city.

Imperial Mayor Katie Burnworth expressed her excitement for the project saying, “This is an incredible opportunity for our city to provide a space to help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. I am thrilled that we have been awarded this funding, and look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.”

“The City of Imperial would like to thank U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla for their support of this project and their commitment to helping our community thrive,” the release states.

For more information about the Imperial Community Kitchen Incubator Project or other initiatives in the City of Imperial, please contact Imperial Assistant City Manager Alexis Brown at (760) 3554373 or abrown@cityofimperial.org.