A town in Pima County is getting a $3 million grant to create a facility for high-technology local businesses. The grant announced Friday is for the Sahuarita Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center, or SAMTEC.

The grant is expected to pay for the bulk of a proposed technology business center.  

The facility projected to create 75 new jobs, retain 31 jobs and create half a million dollars in private investment, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which awarded the grant.

Victor Gonzalez, the town's economic development director, said the award is the culmination of a 15-month process of talking with the EDA and crafting an application.

Gonzalez said the new facility will help achieve town goals to retain and attract technology companies. The town committed just over $1 million in its 2018 budget for the project, and received a $165,000 grant from the Freeport McMoRan Foundation Green Valley/Sahuarita Community Investment Fund in September.

The Town Council voted in May to buy the 3.76-acre parcel for $412,500, after putting in a pre-application for the grant in August of last year. A full application was submitted at the end of October.

The total cost of the facility is expected to be around $4.5 million.