Finding industrial site tops Bradley priority list

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — There's a new item at the top of Bradley County's five-year economic development plan — identifying, buying and developing a public industrial park.

On Monday, members of the County Commission and the Cleveland City Council received copies of a map showing an industrial and commercial development plan for southern Bradley County.

The map is included in the economic development plan prepared each year as part of Tennessee's Three Star community program, which helps communities set goals for growth and development, Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis said Monday.

The plan is "kind of a living document," Dan Howell, Davis' assistant, told the commission. "Some projects were on the list last year but have moved around."

The rest of the list includes upgrades to the interchanges at Interstate 75 exit 20 and APD 40, long-range planning for infrastructure, support and maintenance of higher education standards and redevelopment of the old Whirlpool factory site on King Edward Avenue.

Whirlpool is moving to a new plant at Benton Pike and Michigan Avenue.

The commission is expected to vote on the economic development list when it meets Feb. 22.

Finding large tracts for industrial development became a top priority in December after Amazon announced it will construct a distribution facility at exit 33, as well as one in Hamilton County.

Whirlpool announced plans for its new plant in 2010, and Wacker Chemical, a German company, has a $1.45 billion project under way in northern Bradley County.