Catoosa's Project Hilltop clears key hurdle

State and federal officials met Monday to discuss right-of-way issues that are the last major hurdle for a Catoosa County development code-named Project Hilltop.

Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb said Monday he grew concerned last week about the issues, which in-volve land slated for use in the future expansion of Interstate 75, but Catoosa Commissioner Ken Marks said he was hopeful the land wasn't a "deal breaker."

"We've got plan A, B, C and D," Mr. Marks said.

Over the past two weeks, officials in Catoosa County have discussed the confidential project, rumored to be a warehouse retailer. If an agreement is struck, the development would go on a sail-shaped 60-acre lot between I-75 and Scruggs Road just north of Cloud Springs Road.

Mr. Marks said state officials rejected the county's first proposal to build on the land next to the freeway. The second proposal, which the state seemed more open to, involved a temporary easement to remove a fence and lay an access road that butts up against the federal land.

"Everybody wants the project," Mr. Marks said. "We just have to figure out what we can do legally."

Mr. Cobb said there are still a few legal details that need to be worked out on the county's side and a few procedures in the works for the retailer that wants to build on the land, but the right-of-way issues were the biggest potential stumbling block.

Assuming other issues are cleared, bids will be opened Thursday for work at the site, which will include moving 800,000 to 1 million cubic yards of dirt, according to the bid advertisement. Thirteen contractors showed up for the mandatory prebid hearings in December, officials said.

After the bids are reviewed, the County Commission will have to approve one of them at a scheduled or called meeting.

Mr. Cobb has said the retailer expects to create 125 jobs in its first year and expand to 200 jobs in the second year. About half of the jobs will be full time, according to local officials.