NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that ten communities will collectively receive more than $3.8 million in Site Development Grant funding. Included is a $100,000 grant to the Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee to conduct due diligence studies for the former American Colloid Site on Russell Street.
Henry County Mayor Brent Greer and Paris Mayor Carlton Gerrell announced in September the county has entered a three-year option to purchase a 300-acre site for industrial and community development opportunities. The 300-acre site is owned by Mineral Technologies, Inc. (former American Colloid) on Russell Street in Paris.
Greer said this morning, “We’re really excited about the grant. This will pay for the additional engineering costs and set us up for a site development grant that we’ll be applying for.” The grant will finance soil boring on the site.
Governor Lee said, “I am excited to announce ten Site Development Grant recipients, and I’m especially pleased that each recipient is a rural site. The site development grant program is part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act, which focuses on promoting economic growth in rural Tennessee. I look forward to seeing what success the future holds for these communities with the assistance of these grants.”
The grants are designed to help communities achieve Select Tennessee site certification and prepare industrial sites for economic development projects. The funding helps communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements on project-ready sites.
“Attracting industry to Tennessee’s rural communities continues to be one of TNECD’s main goals,” Rolfe said. “With the assistance of the Site Development Grants, the 10 recipients will be able to better prepare their sites and increase their chances of recruiting new businesses to their communities.”
The Site Development Grant program works in tandem with TNECD’s Select Tennessee program. Since 2016, TNECD has awarded 90 Site Development Grants across the state, totaling nearly $32 million in assistance to local communities.
The grants awarded this round include:
City of Covington
Rialto Industrial Park, $420,000 – Water line replacement
City of Gallatin
Gallatin Industrial Park, $96,310 – Installation of a detention pond
City of Lexington
Reeves Property, $495,000– Development of an industrial road
Industrial Development Board of the County of Bradley and City of Cleveland
Spring Branch Industrial Park, $1,000,000 – Grade and prepare a site
Industrial Development Board of the Counties of Cumberland, Morgan, and Roane
Plateau Partnership Park, $1,000,000 – Water line extension
Industrial Development Board of The City of Fayetteville and Lincoln County
Runway Center Industrial Park, $500,000 – Grade and prepare a site
Marion County
Nickajack Industrial Site & Port, $66,047 – Conduct due diligence studies
Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee
American Colloid Site, $100,000 – Conduct due diligence studies
Washington County
Washington County Industrial Park, $94,500 – Conduct due diligence studies
City of Waynesboro
Waynesboro Industrial Park, $92,791 – Conduct due diligence studies
Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of TNECD, Austin Consulting, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Transportation and USDA Rural Development.
Each application was supported by the community’s senator and representatives in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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