TN: Governor Announces Nearly $18 Million for 12 New Site Development Grant Recipients

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced recently 12 new Site Development Grant recipients.

The grants, totaling approximately $17.9 million, are designed to help communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements to land economic development projects and achieve Select Tennessee site certification.

"TNECD's Site Development Grants play a critical role in preparing Tennessee communities for economic development growth, which directly supports our focus of ensuring every Tennessean has access to a high-quality job," said Lee. "I thank the General Assembly for partnering with us to fund this important program."

The Site Development Grant program, part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act, works in tandem with TNECD’s Select Tennessee program. Since 2016, TNECD has awarded 174 Site Development Grants across the state, totaling nearly $85 million in assistance to local communities and generating 6,595 new jobs for Tennesseans.

“Having a shovel-ready industrial site is a key component many of our communities need to land business investment and spur job creation,” said McWhorter. “These grants serve as a steppingstone for Tennesseans to achieve a better quality of life, and I look forward to seeing the economic development growth that follows this latest round of funding.”  

The grants awarded this round include:

Bristol Tennessee Essential Services
Bristol Industrial Park, $2,000,000 – Property grading

City of Bolivar Industrial Development Board
Watson Property, $98,314 – Due diligence studies

City of Henderson Tennessee
Henderson Industrial Park, $740,490 – Tree/property clearing 

Town of Livingston
City Industrial Park, $50,000 – Due diligence studies 

County of Franklin
East Moon Property, $93,542 – Tree/property clearing 

Greene County Government
Snapps Ferry Property, $2,100,000 – Property grading

Hamilton County Government
McDonald Farm, $3,000,000 – Water infrastructure

Haywood County
I-40 Advantage Industrial Park, $2,000,000 – Access road construction

Dyer County Industrial Development Board
Commerce Park Interstate Site, $5,000,000 – Speculative building construction

Sullivan County Economic Development dba NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership 
Bristol South Industrial Park, $100,000 – Due diligence studies

City of Greenfield
Greenfield-Pentecost Property, $1,970,091 – Access road construction, tree/property clearing, water and sewer infrastructure  

The Industrial Development Board of the City of Oak Ridge
Horizon Center Industrial Park, Area 7, $797,597 – Access road construction, tree/property clearing, due diligence studies   

Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of TNECD, Austin Consulting, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Tennessee Department of Transportation.

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