Mayors voice frustrations as Megasite creeps along
Leaders get aggressive in calling for work to begin
The Southwest Tennessee Development District held its annual meeting with legislators on Thursday, and county and city executives in Haywood County took the opportunity to let state leadership know about their frustrations with how slowly the movement for the Memphis Regional Megasite is happening.
Bob Rolfe, the state’s Commissioner for Economic and Community Development, reported to the representatives on the Zoom meeting that the 36-mile wastewater pipeline that would go from the Megasite to the Mississippi River had gotten its needed property easements for installation.
Rolfe said Gov. Bill Lee had hired Gresham & Smith consulting services to look at the situation to see its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Rolfe said the results of that study should be available in 60 or 90 days.
Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls and Haywood County Mayor David Livingston let Rolfe know their frustrations with the process and how slowly it’s moving.
“We’ve missed out on past opportunities that have gone to other states, and what hurt us is that we’re not shovel ready,” Rawls said. “We’ve got the easements for the pipeline and the money has been budgeted for it. Plus some of the materials are already in place and ready to go.
“The pipeline is what we need, and we need it as soon as possible.”
Livingston gave an impassioned speech discussing campaign promises from Lee when he ran for Governor in 2008 about how he was committed to finding a tenant for the site and wanted to change West Tennessee economically. He also talked about how study after study has been done on the site.
“We’ve had company after company do study after study to tell us the same thing every time – that we’re not shovel ready and we won’t be until the pipeline and other infrastructure is installed,” Livingston said. “And in the end, all we’ve done is paid out another $100,000 or $200,000 and gotten nothing different done other than kicking the can down the road.”
Livingston ended his statement with a list of things he wants Lee to do in the near future: Put the pipeline in the ground now, aggressively market the site for an automobile plant that would generate the number of jobs that would transform West Tennessee’s economic development the way they’ve been touting, offer an incentive package to companies that look at the site that they can’t refuse and specifically address his immediate plans for the Megasite in his upcoming state of the state address.
Rolfe said he would take Livingston’s requests back to the Governor whom he said had taken a greater interest and wanted to be more hands-on with the project since the pandemic began and wants to make sure the state gets as good a return of investment as possible on the project.
“Sir, I guarantee you the investment will be worth it because I’ve heard criticisms of the workforce in West Tennessee,” Livingston said. “But our workforce is enough in quantity and quality to bring an automobile manufacturer here, and we’re just asking for West Tennessee to be treated on an equal level with East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. Because I hate to put it this way, we feel like the stepchild the way we’re treated right now.”
Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEDitorbrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.