Catoosa County has begun initial steps to create greater opportunity for new industrial operations to move to the area.
In a move to prepare approximately 50 acres of land for a possible business park, the county Board of Commissioners approved two grading contracts at their meeting on Dec. 1.
The land will ultimately be listed for sale and is located off of Highway 41. It was purchased by the county’s Development Authority with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding in 2019.
Catoosa County Economic Development Director Keith Barclift doesn’t want to miss anymore opportunities to draw large companies – such as the GEDIA automotive parts factory that is being developed in Whitfield County – that can invest in the area through jobs and property taxes, furthering economic growth in Catoosa.
“We missed out because we didn’t have a site ready for construction,” Barclift said. “We just don’t have publicly owned property that we can go out and market as pad-ready. So we’re trying to go ahead and do that so it can be in a better position to win some of these industrial prospects.”