The Hamilton County Commission will vote next week on purchasing the McDonald Farm in Sale Creek for $16 million.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Wednesday that the county, after more than a year of discussion with the family that owns the farm, is officially looking to buy the 2,170-acre piece of land on the north end of the county.
“We think that this is obviously some of the future of Hamilton County, this piece of property,” Coppinger said Wednesday, of the land that would create space for industrial development and other uses, as the growing county runs out of usable development space.
“I think this is something that this county is going to be developing for a number of years, even decades,” he said. “And I think the good news is there’s opportunity there for mixed use, not just only manufacturing or office buildings or whatever.”
McDonald Farm is a sprawling property on the north end of Hamilton County, sitting largely on the Rhea County border, with about 20% over the line. The county hopes to use the land and other incentives to attract businesses and jobs.