Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that 25 communities will receive more than $9.6 million in Site Development Grants. Three projects in Northeast Tennessee will receive a total of $2 million of that amount.
Sullivan County Economic Development Partnership, Inc.:
• Partnership Park II – $1,000,000 – Complete site grading improvements to create rail access and a pad site
Town of Erwin:
• 2nd Street Industrial Site – $500,000 – Grade a pad-ready site for a single, large industrial user and conduct investigative studies
Tri-Cities Airport Authority:
• Aerospace Park – $500,000 – Prepare a pad-ready site for an aircraft maintenance hangar, as well as landside parking access
“By making our rural communities ready for investment and economic success, we help them attract jobs and more opportunities for citizens,” Haslam said. “I congratulate the Site Development Grant program recipients and look forward to watching as they thrive and bring new businesses to our state.”
The grants are intended to help rural communities overcome barriers to site certification and prepare them to receive an economic development project that creates jobs in their community. These funds assist communities in finalizing infrastructure and engineering improvements for project-ready certified sites. The Site Development Grant program is part of the larger Rural Economic Opportunity Act passed in 2016 and updated in 2017.