PHOTO: The I-59 Industrial Park on Jordan Road in Fort Payne has been designated an, "Alabama AdvantageSite," which helps bring in new businesses and manufacturing who may be thinking about relocating to Fort Payne. (DeKalb County Economic Development Authority)
By Staff Reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – (Video of the Announcement at the Fort Payne City Council Meeting at the Bottom) The I-59 Fort Payne Industrial Park in DeKalb County has received the Alabama AdvantageSite designation.
The AdvantageSite program requires that community economic development organizations provide documentation specific to a proposed industrial site, including a set of standard data related to ownership/control, environmental and geotechnical conditions, and infrastructure status. Sites must also meet size, zoning and accessibility requirements.
The 39-acre industrial park is located within the Fort Payne city limits and has access to Interstate 59 via Jordan Road and Alabama 35. All utilities are at the site. The park also is located in a New Market Tax Credit area of the state.
The application process was managed locally by the DeKalb County Economic Development Authority with a team of local entities supporting and/or participating in the process.
“Economic development has changed tremendously and has become extremely competitive as communities vie for new industry and jobs,” said Fort Payne Mayor Larry Chesser. “For the past several years, our city has worked to fully develop the I-59 industrial site located on Jordan Road to make it competitive with other sites in the Southeast.”
Chesser said the AdvantageSite designation results from a lot of hours and effort by, “our local economic development office, our local utilities and other major partners.”
“We want to thank TVA for providing financial support for the development of the construction pad on site,” Chesser said. “We also want to thank the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama for creating the AdvantageSite program and assisting our economic development programs as we create product to offer to prospective industries.
He added: “This designation shows potential prospects that we are prepared as a community. It demonstrates that we have a competitive location for doing business.”
AdvantageSite is a teamwork approach between the private sector and state and local governments geared towards having prepared product and materials ready for industrial prospects. Alabama now has 56 active AdvantageSites in the state.
The program is jointly sponsored by the Alabama Department of Commerce, Spire, Alabama Power Co., the North Alabama Industrial Development Association, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, and coordinated by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Representatives from each of the entities actively participate in application reviews and on-site visits to prospective AdvantageSite designees.
AdvantageSite is a voluntary industrial site preparedness program created in order to make the state more competitive for companies considering a location in Alabama.
For more information on the AdvantageSite program, please visit: http://www.edpa.org/about-us/advantagesite.
