News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
You may notice some new for sale signs placed around the Putnam County Fairgrounds while driving through Cookeville.
County Mayor Randy Porter said it is part of the strategy to deal the some 40 acres. Porter said the idea was to increase advertisements as more holiday traffic comes through town.
“You never know who might be stopping by and getting off the interstate to eat and might be a president of a company and say hey we would like to come to Cookeville and there is a great piece of property,” Porter said. “We’re just trying to do everything we can to market it as much as we can.”
Porter said the county is still searching for a developer to pick up an option on the land. The original developer option tasked with recruiting retail to commercialize the property expired in July of this year.
Porter said the land has been nationally advertised going on two years. Porter said several businesses are still looking to move here, but the economy has slowed the process.
“I think that has definitely affected it,” Porter said. “With the inflation and you have several of these big companies that have stopped building projects, but we still have several businesses looking. You never know when that day will be.”
When the land sells, the funds will be used on the new expo center at the Tennessee Avenue fairgrounds location. Porter said he sees no issues with the timing of the transition when it happens.
“The commission wants to see it sold, so we can have those funds, but we are already moving forward,” Porter said. “It’s going to take until next summer or early fall before they have all the dirt work, building pads and streets at Tennessee Avenue.”
Porter said seeing other land developed around Cookeville encourages him. Porter said it shows that there are still interested parties and drives the value of the property.
