Nine Tennessee communities will receive a total of more than $1.3 million in Site Development Grant funding, which is designed to help communities prepare industrial sites for economic development projects and achieve Select Tennessee site certification.
The Site Development Grant program is part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act supported by the Tennessee General Assembly for the last three years.
“I’m pleased to announce nine more Site Development Grants that will prepare industrial sites across Tennessee,” said Governor Bill Lee. “With the support of the General Assembly, these grants are at the heart of our efforts to attract quality jobs and private investment to rural Tennessee. I look forward to being able to celebrate new jobs in each of these communities in the months and years ahead.”
The Site Development Grant program works in tandem with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s (TNECD) Select Tennessee Site Certification program. Since 2016, TNECD has awarded 80 Site Development Grants across the state, totaling nearly $28 million in assistance to local communities.
“For communities looking to attract new industry, having shovel-ready sites is crucial,” said TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe. “TNECD is excited about the newest round of Site Development Grant recipients. Five of the new grantees are in rural counties that have not fully benefitted from Tennessee’s broader economic gains. Attracting industry to these communities remains one of TNECD’s utmost priorities, and I’m confident these grants will help position them to attract quality, family wage jobs.”
The grants awarded this round include:
- Joint Industrial Board of Celina and Clay County: Mitchell Street Industrial Property, $59,992 – Due diligence studies and grading plan
- Town of Halls: Hwy 209 Industrial Site (Steelman Farms), $100,000 – Due diligence studies, master plan and rail feasibility study
- Industrial Development Board of Jefferson City: Hunt Property, $500,000 – Grading of approximately 25 acres and improved site access
- Lewis County: Lewis County Industrial Park, $80,155 – Due diligence studies and master plan
- Dickson County: Canterbury Site, $39,872 – Due diligence studies and master plan
- Claiborne County Industrial Development Board: Russell Industrial Property, $89,775 – Due diligence studies and rail feasibility study
- Savannah Industrial Development Corporation: Savannah-Hardin County Industrial Site, $66,500 – Due diligence studies
- City of Shelbyville: 231 North Business Park, $133,000 – Clearing, fence removal and access drive construction
- Industrial Development Board of Smithville: Smithville Industrial Park East, $235,080 – Marketing road and brush removal
Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of TNECD, Austin Consulting, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Transportation and USDA Rural Development.
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