Plans for new Busch Commerce Park under initial review
Authorities in Bartow County have submitted a Development of Regional Impact application to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission for what is being dubbed the Busch Commerce Park.
The DRI form was submitted by Brandon Johnson of the Bartow County Zoning office and lists potential use for up to five million square feet of warehouse and distribution facilities, commercial use and as many as four hotels.
Johnson said the application includes more than 700 acres north of the existing Budweiser plant, between Interstate 75 and CassWhite Road. The acreage is part of what Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor has considered as a potential mega-industrial site.
“It is lined directly up with the Rome-Cartersville Development Corridor,” Taylor said. “It would dump out at the eastern most end of that development corridor. All that would be great for Bartow, Floyd and Northwest Georgia’s future development.”
“All of this is in the county’s jurisdiction and is already zoned for business park and or industrial developments,” Johnson said. “I don’t know anything about the developer or end users, this is very preliminary as far as the county is concerned. We know enough to know that it will require a DRI.”
“I think the regional commission will want to have a sit down meeting with the county and the engineer at some point,” Johnson said.
The contact listed on the DRI is Andy White, a representative with Thomas and Hutton, a firm which provides comprehensive engineering and design work to a diverse group of private and public clients.
Taylor said that as far as he knows, the plan is to build out the park all at one time.
“We always look for companies that will bring advanced manufacturing to Bartow County. Along with that are big investments, jobs and high wages. That’s what we’re looking for. Higher wages than average,” Taylor said.
The DRI application indicates a December 2021 completion date for the project.
The Development of Regional Impact application is the third filed out of Bartow County in less than two months. Capital Development Partners is seeking to develop three warehouse or distribution buildings encompassing approximately 2.7 million square feet on a 260-acre tract just off I-75 north of Cartersville, while Vulcan Materials filed for a quarrying project off Ga. 140 in Adairsville.