This EDA investment funds the renovation of an existing campus building to create an 11-room hotel that will accommodate local visitors in tishomingo, oklahoma

This $7.66 million Economic Adjustment Assistance grant from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will fund renovations to create an 11-room hotel at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The project involves converting the existing Chickasaw Hall building to establish the hotel, which will serve guests of the college and visitors to Tishomingo and the surrounding area. The hotel will also provide work experience for students at Murray State College. Much of the local economy in Tishomingo and Johnston County, Oklahoma relies on hospitality, food service and recreation industries. The project is expected to create high-paying jobs in reservation, food service, housekeeping, information technology, marketing, management, and maintenance. Once completed, the hotel aims to help address economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry from the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting increased tourism, economic development, job growth, and post-pandemic resiliency in the Tishomingo region. The award date for this EDA grant was June 28, 2022.

The project will renovate the chickasaw hall building to establish the hotel, which will serve guests of the college and visitors to tishomingo and the surrounding area, and will also provide valuable work experience for students at murray state college. Much of the local economy of tishomingo and johnston county is based on hospitality, food service and recreation industries. The project is expected to create high-paying jobs in the reservation, food service, housekeeping, information technology, marketing, management, and maintenance personnel industries. Once completed, the project will help addresses economic harm to the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic by supporting increased tourism, economic development, job growth, and post covid resiliency for the tishomingo region.