Large construction projects continue off Calhoun Highway
Concrete foundations cover about one-eighth of what will be a 425,000-square-foot Hillman Group distribution facility near Balta at 6785 Calhoun Highway.
The leveled footprint for that massive — nearly 10-acre — facility is already evident, and across a small paved road on the same property even more is in the works.
Plymouth REIT announced in September 2021 it would build a 236,600-square-foot industrial spec building on the property in Shannon. Shortly thereafter, the company committed to building an additional 180,000-square-foot finished spec building on the site.
For months, the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority sought a developer to invest in a speculative building, ready for occupancy. Authority President Missy Kendrick said earlier that most prospects are looking for an existing building to move right into, and this would fill that need for Floyd County.
The property was the old location of Florida Tile alongside a plot of woods in northern Floyd County off Calhoun Highway.
That property lay fallow for years until the Hillman Group acquired Rome-based Big Time Products in 2018 and sought to consolidate its operations in one location. The new facility, encompassing up to 450,000 square feet, will consolidate three locations in Rome, as well as retain 144 existing jobs and add more new jobs.
The Hillman Group will receive a 10-year tax abatement package, with a 100% abatement the first year decreasing by 10% each year. In lieu of property taxes, the company will make a payment of $36,750 per year to the development authority.
For the massive Hillman building, Catamount Construction Inc. is in charge of everything from the architectural design all the way through Hillman moving in. A representative of the company previously estimated the completion date as fall 2022.