News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County’s Clarkrange Business Park one of the top 3 site candidates for a potential new industry.
Industrial Development Board Representative Jacob Rosenbaum said a potential biocarbon manufacturing was interested in opening a potential facility in the county. Biocarbon in the form of charcoal and woodchips are sustainable carbon sources replacing fossil coal.
“And we are the only site in the state that is currently vying for this,” Rosenbaum said. “So the Department of Economic Development is helping us out. They’re doing the negotiations and offering the incentives at this point, so.”
Rosenbaum said the board will give notification as soon as they hear more. He said at this point, they are in serious contention for the opportunity.
Rosenbaum said they are also in the process of applying for a site development grant to update due diligence studies at the business park. He said they are in the second round of that grant funding.
“That’ll be helpful as future projects arise,” Rosenbaum said. ” (…) and I’ve got to go to Nashville next month with Megan Choate and make a presentation to the state and hopefully we’ll be able to get that too. It’s a $100,000 grant and it’s a 95-5 match.”
Rosenbaum said they are also continuing prospects for the old Fitzgerald Building on Commerce Drive. He said there have been a number of interested parties in the past few months and they want to give everyone the opportunity to submit information and intentions in regard to their desired use of the building.
