DDAA Monthly – December 2025❄️

Written by

Diana Romero

in

 

 

For all your LDD news!
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DDAA Monthly
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Feature
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Foothills Regional CommissionGeorgia’s Appalachian Regional Port

A Partnership for Prosperity
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Recently, the Georgia Ports Authority announced that the Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in rural Murray County (GA) set a record in November 2025 with seven trains per week carrying nearly 4,000 containers—a 35% increase from November 2024.
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The rail line serving the ARP connects the Port of Savannah, Georgia, the fastest-growing port on the East Coast and the nation’s fourth-busiest seaport, to Northwest Georgia, Northeast Alabama, and the Greater Chattanooga/Southeastern Tennessee area. Interstate 75 is the main artery connecting Atlanta to Chattanooga, 118 miles to the north.
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The Appalachian Regional Commission has been a partner in creating and growing this major economic engine throughout the process, providing funding and initial credibility to the proposal.
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In 2015, the Appalachian Regional Commission invested $300,000, and Murray County contributed $400,000 to purchase the 46-acre site. CSX Railroad contributed $7.8 million in private investment.
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In 2016, ARC contributed $120,000 with a local match of $30,000 to prepare the Murray County Site Development Master Plan. The purpose of the grant was to “prepare an infrastructure master plan, including broadband and telecommunications, for future development around the Appalachian Regional Inland Port located in Murray County.”
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News
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Research
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Events
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ReImagine Appalachia’s 6th Annual Virtual Strategy Summit

January 13 – 14, 2026

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET

Location: Zoom
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2026 NADO & DDAA Washington Conference

March 8 – 11, 2026

Arlington, VA
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South & Appalachian Creative Placemaking Conference: BUILDING BRIDGES: Connecting Communities through Culture and Commerce

April 21 – 24, 2026

Memphis, TN
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2026 Professional Development Seminar

July 29 – 30, 2026

Asheville, NC
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Grant Opportunities
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