Marion to try for ‘supersite’ certification

Marion to try for ‘supersite’ certification

Designation would be a boon for future industrial growth

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion’s economic development director says the city is going to try and get a prime industrial location recertified as a supersite to help spur more interest in the city for future industrial prospects.

The 1,200 acre site located near the Union Pacific railport lost its supersite designation after the city was unable to renew its option on the land which was needed in order to keep the designation.

“We will revisit that,” Demster said. “The mayor and I talked about getting back with the owners.”

Supersites are large tracts of contiguous land that are choice locations used by cities to attract large industrial operations. The sites are usually served by modern utilities and have access to high-volume road, rail, and port infrastruture, enough supply of highquality wokers, and are as close to being “shovel ready” as possible.

Sites must meet certain infrastructure availability, transportation availability, favorable topographical data, environmental assessment, delineation of wetlands, price and engineering studies in order to be certfied by the state.

The properties are usually owned or optioned by the state or local economic development agenies and have a commitment by the owners and local government to move quickly on a large project.

The majority of the property is controlled by the Wallace family. The site is located within a total of 5,000 acres which is designated for industrial growth.

The land is flat and easy to build on, has utilities, and is above the 100-year flood plain.

Union Pacific Railroad serves the location with a 600 acre intermodal terminal already on the site and because of its proximity along Interstates 40 and 55 is within reach of 152 major metro markets from Memphis overnight. The site is also 10 minutes from Memphis, 20 miles from Memphis International Airport which is the world’s busiest cargo airport, and only 10 minutes from the Mississippi River.

The site was a finalist in Toyota’s search for a new truck assembly plant and was at one time named the finest site in the South for an automotive manufacture by Southern Business & Development magazine.

Demster said there is still a lot of interest in the site.

“We still get inquiries — not as a super site — but on smaller pieces of that,” Demster said. “The only change is that it is not designated by Entergy or the state as a ‘super site.’ But we are in routine contact with the owners out there promoting it.”

Councilman Kelly O’Neal said he would like to see Marion regain that super site designation and work together with West Memphis to better promote the area for industrial projects which are going elsewhere.

“If we had that site and the West Memphis (Great River Super Site) site and promoted it together, it would definitely make this part of the state look better having two super sites within two miles of each other,” O’Neal said.

Mayor Frank Fogleman said they are working to get the option needed on the land.

“We are moving in that direction,” Fogleman said.

Demster also gave a brief update on the city’s economic development activity for the past six months.

The city has received four requests for proposals on an industrial site; celebrated the expansion at Hino which now employs 750 workers; will be launching a campaign aimed at attracting more residents who will be working at steel mill jobs in Mississippi County; and will beholding a final meeting on the downtown revitalization master plan soon. “There are a number of good things going on,” Demster said.

By Mark Randall