Clay Industrial Site Preparation Project Receives Two Bids

The Clay County Joint Industrial Board has received two bids on a state grant project creating pad-ready sites for industry.

Mayor Dale Reagan said the contractor would create a gravel access road to the Mitchell Street Property and prepare the site for building.

“We expect construction on this project hopefully to begin in a few months,” Reagan said. “Once it gets started, we’re hoping in about 75 days it will be completed. Once the construction is completed, the joint industrial development board will have a pad-ready site that can be marketed.”

Reagan said the awarded bid must be approved by the state before the Industrial Board can vote on approval. Reagan said one bid fits the $500,000 grant budget while the other exceeded.

“In 2021, the Joint Industrial Development Board applied and was awarded a site development grant through the State Department of Economic and Community Development,” Reagan said. “(…) We’ve been working on this project with the Upper Cumberland Development District. They’ve been administering this for us and our engineering group has been Allmon Engineering.”

The Mitchell Street Industrial Park is roughly 50 acres with about 20 acres usable for construction. Reagan said he excited to see the project moving forward.

“Because up until this point, we didn’t have anything within the boundaries of the city and even within the county as far as a site ready area that would be enticing to an industry,” Reagan said. “This particular site became available a few years ago here right in the city limits. The infrastructure is pretty much there.”

Reagan said a separate grant project improving sewer capacity in the city made this project possible. Reagan said the industrial board partnered with Celina through an Appalachian Regional Commission grant.