CLEVELAND, Tenn. – As a short-term goal, Bradley County should be ready to spend about $12 million in a few months to take advantage of the new Volkswagen and Wacker Chemical factories, an economic official said.
But the county also has a 25-year plan that’s well under way, members of the Cleveland City Council and Bradley County Commission were told Monday at a joint meeting.
For the immediate future, the search is on for sites across the county for an industrial park as both Volkswagen and Wacker Chemical develop their dual $1 billion factories, said Doug Berry, vice president for economic development with the Cleveland-Bradley County Chamber of Commerce.
He told city and county officials to be prepared in late summer or early fall to consider a $4 million to $6 million commitment for 300 to 350 acres of industrial land. In addition to the land, site preparation also could cost another $6 million, he said.
“There are so many nuances to actual development costs, but it’s safe to say we are looking in the range of $6 million if we choose to fully develop that park with all the roads and infrastructure and parcel it out,” he said.
Six potential sites are being looked at across the county, he said.
Cleveland/Bradley County in 2035* 33,000 additional population* 14,000 new households* 19,000 new jobs Source: McBride Dale Clarion
He said the fact that Bradley County doesn’t already have an industrial park has impacted its ability to attract tier one automotive supply companies for the Volkswagen plant.
Tier one VW suppliers are those that must be within minutes of the plant in Hamilton County.
“We are behind when it comes to having an industrial park in place,” he said. “And we don’t need to wait two years.”
Both Mr. Berry and Chamber President Gary Farlow said the community needs to balance industrial, commercial and residential growth. Second and third tier Volkswagen-related industries will be coming later, they said.
Greg Dale, with consulting firm McBride Dale Clarion, said the long-range planning process for the year 2035, commissioned by local governments and others, is well under way.
The strategic plan should be looked at in five-year increments as well as a 25-year plan with the entire community taking part in its preparation, Mr. Dale said.
“The whole idea is to look for opportunities to do things together that you can’t do on your own effectively,” he said.
Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland told city and county officials that it’s not to soon to begin thinking about the future for fire protection in the city and county. The current contract, in which the Cleveland Fire Department covers part of the urban area of Bradley County, ends in a couple of years, he said.
“We need to not have any surprises on both sides,” Mr. Rowland said.
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