NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced today 13 new Site Development Grant (SDG) recipients. The Benton County Industrial Development Board was awarded $1.18M. Also receiving grants in our area were the city of Dresden and Stewart-Houston Counties.
The grants, totaling more than $13 million, are designed to help communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements to land economic development projects and achieve Select Tennessee site certification.
“Since taking office in 2019, we have made it an administration-wide mission to create greater opportunity in rural Tennessee because we know what happens in our rural communities matters to all Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee. “I am proud to announce funding today that will strengthen these communities and position them for future economic investment and job creation.”
The SDG program is part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act, which provides funding to improve the economies of Tennessee’s rural communities. Since 2016, TNECD has awarded 210 SDGs across the state, totaling over $130 million in assistance to local communities and generating 8,417 new jobs for through projects that landed on sites improved through the program.
“Today’s announcement ensures that 13 communities will take advantage of TNECD’s Site Development Grant program,” said Deputy Gov. and Commissioner McWhorter. “Since its inception, the program has brought more than $130 million in funding to communities across the state, and companies, both nationally and internationally, are seeing the commitment we’ve made to community and rural development, reinforcing the importance of this program.”
The grants awarded this round include:
-
Benton County Industrial Development Board
Gateway to West Tennessee, $1,187,500 – Property acquisition
-
Franklin County
East Moon Property, $1,155,075 – Access road construction/property clearing and due diligence
-
Tusculum-Greeneville-Greene County Industrial Development Board
Greene Valley, $306,400 – Due diligence and master planning
-
Industrial Development Board of Crockett County
Crockett County Industrial Park, $1,600,834 – Property grading
-
Meigs County-Decatur Economic Development Corporation
Meigs County Industrial Park, $100,000 – Due diligence
-
Industrial Development Board of Stewart-Houston Counties
Stewart Houston Industrial Park, $100,000 – Due diligence
-
Industrial Development Board of the City of Dresden
Dresden Pad Ready Site, $865,070 – Water infrastructure
-
Industrial Development Board of the City of Newport and Cocke County
Stokley Moore Site, $100,000 – Due diligence
-
Industrial Development Board of the City of Bristol
Bristol South Industrial Park, $2,537,381 – Property grading, roadway improvements
-
Industrial Development Board of the City of Lexington
Timberlake Industrial Park, $5,000,000 – Speculative building construction
-
Savannah Industrial Development Corporation
Boyd Property, $343,879 – Access road construction, tree clearing, property grading
-
Sequatchie County
West Valley Road Site, $60,075 – Due diligence
-
NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership
Northeast Tennessee Business Park, $100,000 – Due diligence
Applications were reviewed by an advisory committee made up of TNECD, Austin Consulting, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Each application was supported by the community’s senator and representatives in the Tennessee General Assembly.