Moving Forward On New Morgan County Industrial Park
The first phase of the Morgan County Industrial Park is underway, says Jeremy Nails, President and CEO of the Morgan County Economic Development Association. A $15 million bond has been issued to build the site, and municipalities within the district have agreed to use their in-lieu-of-tax payments from TVA to repay the bond.
Nails says the site near the Thompson Road/I-65 interchange will be developed in four phases; the northwest quadrant is phase one. The Morgan County Cooperative District, the authority formed to oversee the industrial park, has already acquired the majority of the land for the first phase, he reports.
Phase one will include eight to ten various size lots, and Nails says they purposefully are not predetermining lot sizes. “We didn’t limit ourselves or potential industries by dictating lot sizes,” he explains. “We gave flexibility for planning in all directions.”
What’s next? “We are finalizing engineering drawings for the roads, and working with Joe Wheeler EMC to move the electric lines,” says Nails. Hartselle Utilities is overseeing the project to extend sewers to the site. The infrastructure should be complete within six to nine months, provided the weather is good, Nails says.
Wayne Roberson, Hartselle Utilities Engineering Services Manager, estimates the sewer extension will take about six months. “We’ll run pipes from Highway 31 to the park,” he explains. “In all, we’ll lay 4,600 feet of 12″ gravity sewer, 5,200 feet of 10″ force main and install a 500 gallon-per-minute pumping station.”
Roberson says the sewer extension will be paid for by the Morgan County Cooperative District.
Nails explains how important the development of the site is to attract industry to the area. “We have shown the site to potential industries before, but without the infrastructure – water and sewer – in place, it’s difficult to get on the list for a fast track project,” he says.
Although he would like to bring an industry into the park as soon as possible, Nails is realistic. “I’d like to have something next week,” he laughs, “but it’s hard to put a timeline on when a project will start. You have to have patience and a vision for what you want the outcome to be.”