Listen to an interview with Brian Malone
By Michael V. Hannigan
Athens Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Brian Malone presented a proposal for the EDC to purchase 95 acres of land to the City Council Wednesday afternoon.
The land is adjacent to the current industrial park on Enterprise Street and will cost about $859,000, or $9,000 an acre, Malone said.
The land is split into two pieces. One tract is north of Furturematrix and the other tract is south of Howard Measurement.
Malone said the EDC needs the land in order to be competitive with other area cities when it comes to attracting businesses.
Malone said Athens currently has about 6 acres available for economic development, while other cities have 200 acres or more that are already developed with roads and utilities.
“We are at a competitive disadvantage,” he said.
Wednesday’s presentation was for information purposes only. The council is expected to vote on the request during its regular meeting Monday night.
OK just a question . . . What ” Neighbors ” are we competeing with that have ” 600 acres available ? If one is talkiing about ,say, Tyler , Corsicana . I am just curious . OK 2 questions . . . How is this group funded ?
The EDC is funded through a portion of the sales tax in Athens. Here is how it is described on the AEDC website:
“Athens Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) was established in May 1989 after voters elected to permit the Corporation to receive a half-cent sales tax to fund the economic growth of Athens. These funds can be used to assist companies with infrastructure, relocation, training, and other needs. In 2005, the Corporation became a Type B Corporation which provides for broader uses of the funds received. AEDC began accumulating sales tax receipts effective July 1, 1989 and currently receives approximately $1 million annually.”