ATLANTA (June 20, 2025) — Sen. Larry Walker III (R–Perry) today celebrated Governor Brian Kemp’s recent announcement of Rural Site Development Initiative grants awarded to communities across Georgia, including key investments in Dublin-Laurens County and Pulaski County.
The Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority was awarded a $2 million site improvement grant to support sewage and drainage upgrades at the Georgia Highway 257 Rail Site—a 250-acre GRAD Select-certified location positioned to attract significant economic development opportunities. Local leaders are contributing more than $6 million to the total infrastructure cost, emphasizing the community’s strong commitment to long-term industrial growth.
Meanwhile, the Pulaski County-Hawkinsville Development Authority received a $31,455 GRAD Certification Scholarship to assist in certifying the 170-acre Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Industrial Park, expanding the region’s readiness to recruit major employers and support high-quality job creation.
“These investments show exactly what it looks like when state and local leaders work together to build a brighter economic future for rural Georgia,” said Sen. Walker. “With strong infrastructure and certified, development-ready sites, Laurens and Pulaski counties are better positioned than ever to compete for private investment, good-paying jobs, and long-term prosperity. I’m thankful to Governor Kemp for his support of this funding for the 20th Senate District.”
The Rural Site Development Initiative is administered by the OneGeorgia Authority and the Department of Community Affairs. The program supports infrastructure improvements, site grading, and GRAD (Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development) certifications to strengthen Georgia’s economic competitiveness.
For more information about the Rural Site Development Initiative, visit www.dca.ga.gov.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.