CUMBERLAND COUNTY – Site development grants totaling nearly $1.6 million were awarded to four business parks with Upper Cumberland ties, state officials announced Wednesday.
Crossville Interchange Business Park, Clarkrange Regional Business Park, Plateau Partnership Park and PowerCom Industrial Center were among 18 total recipients of $6.2 million in funds. The site development grants help communities prepare industrial sites for businesses.
The grants assist in infrastructure and site improvements. The projects prepare the sites for new business operations and jobs.
Grants awarded include:
- Crossville Interchange Business Park (Cumberland County)- $500,000 – Development of a 200,000-square foot building pad
- Clarkrange Regional Business Park (Fentress County) – $500,000 – Upgrade of approximately 7,300 linear feet of waterline
- Plateau Partnership Park (Cumberland, Morgan and Roane counties)- $469,350 – Construction of the primary access into the park, construction of access road to the site of the proposed wastewater treatment facility, and grading of the wastewater treatment facility site
- The Tennessee Central Economic Authority PowerCom Industrial Center (formally the Four Lake Regional Industrial Development Authority) also received $122,500 for the extension of approximately 2,400 linear feet of sewer line. Tennessee Central focuses on the Macon, Smith, Sumner, Wilson and Trousdale County areas and owns the PowerCom site, located in Trousdale County.
Crossville Mayor James Mayberry released a statement upon the successful award of the grant. Per its website, the city owns 90 acres in the Crossville Interchange Business Park, located off Highway 127 North.
“The city appreciates the confidence of the state of Tennessee in awarding this grant. Cumberland County and the Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce have been invaluable partners in this project, the property evaluation program and economic development,” Mayberry wrote. “Our community’s recent redirection and focus on economic development was jumpstarted by the Horizon Initiative in 2015, an innovative project and collaborative effort…to develop a comprehensive strategy designed to guide our growth and movement. We look forward to what the future holds for Crossville and Cumberland County in this next step in economic and industrial development.”
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The site development grant program is part of Select Tennessee and works in conjunction with the Site Certification program.
An advisory committee of staff from TNECD, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture selected these 18 sites from a pool of 28 applications. The application process was competitive with grants awarded based on benefit to the community, economic impact, leveraged resources, and ability to implement a successful project.
Each application was supported by the community’s senator and representatives in the Tennessee General Assembly.
“Communities receiving these funds will be one, two and three steps closer to investment and growth,” Amy New, TNECD assistant commissioner of rural development, said. “I am excited to see our rural communities have the opportunity to submit sites and compete on an even bigger level than before.”
