Thank you to everyone who has come out today to celebrate that construction is underway for the Water, Sewer & Gas Line Extensions that will serve the Build Ready Pad and other sites on the North side of GRCP.
I want to thank the members of the Adair Fiscal Court & Judge Larry Bryant and the members of Columbia City Council & Mayor Pam Hoots for both entities contributing $150,000 each towards the local match of the 50/50 matching grant we received through the Kentucky Product Development Initiative Round 1 grant program for the $918,882 project. And thanks to the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority board for approving our project.
I want to recognize Michael “Bo” Ellison, President of Cumberland Pipeline, LLC the contractor for this $797,342 project. We are glad that a “local contractor” received the bid and from what we see going on here today, we are pleased with the work that is in progress.
I want to recognize all of our EDA Board members; Bobby Morrison, Doyle Lloyd, Richard Phelps, Michelle Powell, Rob Wilkerson & Tim Hardwick along with our consultant, Heather Spoon for the tireless work that goes on behind the scenes to make progress happen. And thanks to board members whose terms have recently ended that have been involved in this project; Mark Dykes, Kenzie Rowe, Roger Meadows and the late Chester Taylor.
We were here last October when we broke ground for the Build Ready Pad. When this project is completed, the Build Ready Pad and all utilities will be in place that allow prospects a site that is ready to go.
Last month, we were successful in getting approval through KEDFA for a 50/50 matching grant for a $795,500 project. This will allow us to extend a water line to serve the south side of the park, build the second access road entrance and paving of the gravel portion of Development Drive on North side of park where we are today. At our last meeting the board moved to authorize engineering & preparation of a bid package for the South Side water extension.
Last Friday, our permit for the south side entrance was approved by the Kentucky Department of Transportation. Bobby Morrison, our Project Engineering Manager, has worked tireless on this project for the last two years. And he has not stopped once we got the permit. The last two days he has been working with Taylor County RECC engineers on getting a guy cable that is in the way relocated. We already have the engineering done for this project and I expect the board will authorize that a bid package be prepared at our next meeting.
We have had several prospects look at the park over the last year, some of which have still not chosen a location for their expansions and we are currently pursuing a prospect that could bring significant number of jobs.
Folks, we now have something that will give us more looks. We are ready. Hopefully in the next few months we will meet here again for the announcement of a new tenant in GRCP. See you then!
(Heather Spoon – Columbia Adair County Economic Development Authority)