The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office has awarded $300,000 to Kaua'i Island Utility Co-op, which in turn will loan it to the National Tropical Botanical Garden to help pay for its new library and research center.

The 20,000-square-foot center in Kalaheo will house a rare-book library, reference library, herbarium, work areas and seminar facilities. It will also generate 12 new jobs.

The USDA loan program is designed to promote economic development in rural areas by providing funds to local utility cooperatives, which use the money for loans to create jobs within their service areas.