Sparta Wants To Develop Industrial Site

The City of Sparta is seeking a grant through the TVA to develop a new industrial park inside the city.

Mayor Jeff Young said the $500,000 dollar grant will fund the initial phase in a multi-year project.

“It’s basically for site prep,” Young said. “It will allow us the opportunity to go in, do grade work, level the site down, and have it ready for a 150,000 square foot building pad.”

Young said the industrial park located on Spring Street off Vista Drive requires a number of steps.

“These projects are long-term,” Young said. “The process to go through the grant, the grant approval, the site assessment, and all that can take six months. Bidding out the construction and getting the construction done can take close to a year. We’re anticipating that if we get started now and get it approved, it could be a year or year-and-a-half before the site is completely prepped and ready to market it to a business.”

The Upper Cumberland Development District will assist Sparta in the administrative services for the project.

“That’s just something they do,” Young said. “They have trained people that will work with our engineers and our city and county staff that will help us walk through that process and make sure it goes without any hiccups.”

The Sparta Board of Mayor and Alderman passed a resolution to proceed with the project at its Thursday meeting.