State awards $500K for Pelham park work

Grundy County’s Pelham Industrial Park has been awarded a $500,000 site development grant by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

The money is part of $5 million awarded statewide to 13 projects in rural areas announced Wednesday by Gov. Bill Lee and ECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe.

In the case of Pelham, the money will be spent to grade nine acres, extend an access road and do water and sewer line work.

Lee congratulated the communities, saying in a news release that “one of Tennessee’s major initiatives is helping rural communities, and with the assistance of these grants, these communities will be better positioned for economic success and investment.”

He said he looks forward to “seeing these communities continue to grow and excel.”

The Site Development Grant program is part of the larger Rural Economic Opportunity Act supported by the Tennessee General Assembly for the last three years.

Grants are intended to help rural communities overcome barriers to achieve Select Tennessee site certification, preparing them to get economic development projects that will create jobs in their communities. Funds assist communities in completing infrastructure needs and making engineering improvements on project-ready sites.

“When a company is looking to expand or locate new operations in our state, one of the most important assets a community can have to land a project is a shovel-ready site,” Rolfe said. “I am proud of these 13 communities for taking the initiative to be better prepared for economic growth with the assistance of the Site Development Grants.”

Sammie Arnold, ECD assistant commissioner of community and rural development, said the state’s partnering with smaller communities helps them “remain competitive in the economic development game by creating project-ready sites. With this investment, we expect to see more job creation and anticipate future growth in these communities.”

The Site Development Grant program works in cooperation with the department’s Select Tennessee Site Certification program. Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of ECD, Austin Consulting, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Transportation and USDA Rural Development.

Each application was supported by the community’s senator and representatives in the Tennessee General Assembly.

ECD is accepting applications for the next round of site development grants.