MONTGOMERY— An $866,000 grant awarded by Gov. Robert Bentley will help provide 200 jobs and could give a broader economic boost to an area of Alabama that suffers from chronically high unemployment.

The Community Development Block Grant, awarded to the town of Pine Hill, will assist Golden Dragon Copper to build a 400,000- to 450,000-square-foot plant in Wilcox County where they will produce copper tubing. The county, part of Alabama’s Black Belt region, has had one of the state’s highest unemployment rates for years. The Black Belt is a string of predominantly rural counties with high poverty rates and other economic and quality of life issues.

“This industry is a long-needed shot in the arm for Wilcox County and Alabama’s Black Belt region,” Bentley said. “Our expectations are that GD Copper will not only provide jobs at the plant, but also spur economic development in the surrounding area.”

Funding will enable the town to upgrade its water and sewer systems to meet the needs of the industry which will be doing business as GD Copper USA Inc. The town will build a new water tank and relocate an existing one to supply water to the plant and meet community needs. Pine Hill will use a portion of the grant to upgrade the town’s sewer lines and sewer plant to increase treatment capacity.

Bentley notified Mayor Roberta Jordan that the grant had been approved.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocates CDBG funds to Alabama. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs reviews grant applications and determines which projects to recommend to the governor for approval.

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.