Officials with Cleveland and Bradley County, Tenn., say now is the time to begin thinking about what will take Whirlpool’s place in South Cleveland when the company moves to its new plant.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Now is the time to start planning what will take Whirlpool’s place in South Cleveland when the company moves to its new plant, one city councilman says.
Cleveland City Councilman Richard Banks said Monday he will introduce a resolution when the council meets in two weeks to create a Southside Redevelopment Committee, including city and Bradley County representation, to help with the decision.
“We owe it to the Southside to get started on this,” Banks said. “Whirlpool made a strong commitment to stay in Cleveland and Bradley County, but the Southside will be losing that a couple of years from now.”
Whirlpool’s current location on King Edward Avenue has been an industrial site for nearly a century, its 90 acres dominating much of the area. But the company is constructing a new plant at Benton Pike and Michigan Avenue for its 1,600 employees.
Production at the new plant is expected to start in early 2012.