The Russell County Industrial Development Authority (RCIDA) has been awarded a $7,500 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Flex-E-grant through the Center for Rural Development.
This grant will be used to complete a development master plan for the union of the 104 acre Lake Cumberland Industrial Development Complex Site One with 48 acres of newly acquired property. This development plan will greatly enhance site accessibility and property availability to attract industries and businesses to Russell County.
The plan will analyze existing utilities and infrastructure to identify needs for development and improvements. Part of this plan will include cost estimates of development and upgrade to the property and structures.
The plan will also route a new connector road through the property to connect highways US 127 and KY 370, improving traffic flow in this area of the county.
Part of the new master plan will include defining a portion of Site One for the location of a proposed $3,000,000 Agritech Training Facility. The RCIDA is seeking alternative grant funding for this venture. Agritech and Agribusiness have been identified as a strong potential fit for Russell County, and Site One has already attained “Food and Beverage Shovel-Ready Certification,” the only such certified site in Kentucky with available property.
“We can see Russell County becoming a nucleus for agribusiness and agritech,” said Bennie Garland, RCIDA Executive Director. “The state of Kentucky is now actively targeting and promoting agritech, and our region is ideally suited for such developments. Our county has a proven track record of manufacturing success and we are open to any business or industry that will bring benefit and be suitable to our region.”
When completed, the development plan will be a working document enabling site selectors to easily evaluate the property for location suitability.
Engineering, architecture, and planning firm MSE of Lexington has been selected to develop this plan. MSE is the firm of record for the RCIDA and is very familiar with Russell County, having developed the current Lake Cumberland Regional Industrial Complex Site One plan and numerous other projects for the RCIDA.
“We really appreciate the Center for Rural Development for their help in securing this ARC grant,” said Garland. “It’s vital that the Industrial Development Authority have adequate plans and a positive road map for Russell County heading into the future.”
Image of former drag strip in Russell County, Kentucky. This 48-acre property was recently acquired by the RCIDA to add to the Lake Cumberland Regional Industrial Complex Site One.
