Megasite agreement a cooperative effort that stretches across city borders

Megasite agreement a cooperative effort that stretches across city borders

‘ By us partnering today, our best days are ahead of us’

news@theeveningtimes.com

The West Memphis Economic Development department took a big step forward to attract jobs and investments to the area. The city, along with Marion and the county stepped up to toe a new line of standards put forward by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission called Competitive Communities. The initiative drives to make communities fully prepared to compete for jobs and industrial investments. Locally that meant banding the economic development organizations of the local governments together to attract development of the 1800 acre Mega-site, north of Interstate 40 and east of AR Hwy. 147 North.

City Council committed to the Competitive Communities Initiative (CCI) by resolution during the first city council meeting in July and postponed announcing the joint cooperation until Marion city council and the Quorum Court met to do the same. The announcement started a 45 day clock to complete all documentation and evaluation to receive the CCI designation from the AEDC. The city could be the first in the state to qualify for the special designation.

West Memphis Economic Development Executive Director Phillip Sorrell briefed city council as it considered joining the CCI resolution.

“We’ve been to you several times with various items to get site certified, now we are at the point where we want to start marketing,” said Sorrell. “I’ve had very fruitful meetings with (Marion) Mayor Fogleman and County Judge Woody Wheeless, and both of them have set the CCI on their monthly agenda to join in cooperating. The addendum specifically identifies this site. It is an opportunity to go much farther with our cooperative efforts with our neighbors to market all the lands on our western boundaries. The non-binding resolution states we agree to cooperate in our economic development efforts at that site and adjacent land.”

“You have additional properties Marion markets just north of there and we have properties to market just east of there,” said Sorrell. “We are hoping this will be a cooperative effort between Marion, West Memphis and the county to get behind.”

The city ceded electrical development and service rights to Entergy Arkansas earlier in the year and moved up to the ‘Select’ list the private utility recommends to prospects for development. Entergy could deliver enough electricity to drive a major industry, like a vehicle manufacturer. Sorrell said having the backing of a power company strengthened the marketing position of the industrial site. The Marion portion of the industrial area already had Entergy service. A key component of the CCI entailed utility partnerships to increase the competitive viability of the site.

“The resolution states the AEDC and Entergy Arkansas express their support to the county and the cities,” said Sorrell. “This brings to bear resources and support at the state level and we are very excited about that.”

One of designed practical benefits of the CCI, forging economic development organizations together to work in unison, was achieved with the joint announcement between the two cities, the county and the state. The three local government entities may now act as one an- swer certain AEDC Requests for Information (RFI) together. The new era of cooperation began with the joint announcement during a Thursday luncheon at the Eugene Woods Civic Center in West Memphis.

County Judge Woody Wheeless looked forward to the association and touted the strong assets of the site on which Marion and West Memphis hold options.

“I’m excited about it; It’s a vision I had five years ago when I became the county judge,” said Wheeless. “We have great resources, I think the best in the United States, right here in our county. By us partnering today, our best days are ahead of us. Industries will see that we think a lot of our own community to invest resources to develop it and it will speak volumes to industrial prospects.”

West Memphis Mayor Bill Johnson said the investment in time and dollars to meet the fifty criteria to become CCI recognized held much potential.

“I’m totally optimistic about it; it’s been a long time coming,” said Johnson. “We’re investing in a project that may never come to fruition, but we know we won’t see it if we don’t invest. The two cities and the county stuck their neck out with resources, but it could not happen unless we did get together.”

AEDC Executive Director Michael Preston said communities pulling together across economic development organizations has demonstrated winning results to draw industry to an area. The Golden Triangle in Mississippi has drawn major industry. A multi-county effort in Alabama landed the newest auto plant in the country.

“Working together is so important in economic development,” said Preston. “If you look where the last auto assembly plant landed in Huntsville, Alabama, it was a multi-county effort to make it come together. It took six counties. So the fact that we can take the step to get these communities in this county together is a big first step.”

Entergy Arkansas Director of Business and Economic Development Danny Games measured the magnitude making the Mega-site shovel ready.

“This is the largest marketable site in the entire state,” said Games. “Arguably, it is the largest in the entire region. You have it right here in Crittenden County, in eastern Arkansas. To have a site of this magnitude and this understanding is a great first step, but It will take all the horsepower you have in your combined jurisdiction. We are charting a course to an opportunity that Entergy never had before. We’ll look up ten years from now and say wow.“ Marion Economic Development Director Tracy Brick expressed gratitude for the partnership. She estimated the gravity of the project too immense for the county seat city to land a huge industry all by itself.

“We are roughly a third of this site,” said Brick. “On behalf of Marion and Mayor Frank Fogleman, we really appreciate being included. Working together is the most important thing. We realize West Memphis is doing the bulk. Having the resources of the state and Entergy behind us is great, because Marion would not have the resources to market this property we have because we do not have those resources.”

In the estimation of Sorrell, the huge potential for the 1800 acre plot pushes the site the top shelf market position as it becomes certified shovel ready. The West Memphis ED pressed the real-estate maxim, location, location, location.

“There is no question that our greatest asset is our location and the logistical advantages we have with the convergence of the rails, roads and the river. The Interstates, the five class-one railroads in the area, the city river port are key for moving product and supplies. For a large company that needs multi-modal transport its a deal maker. It gives a big assembly or manufacture plant options to transport nationally or internationally. The river gives opportunity to move internationally in or out. That is our untapped potential for us.”

Sorrell said being a little bit country, elevates the chance of appealing to a big industrial company. The Location helped trigger the decision for the inter-modal yard in Marion and the same criteria may land another big business prospect in the future. How did that rank Crittenden County prospects?

“I can’t definitively say,” said Sorrell, “but it puts us in the top ten percent along with urban areas. The convergence of these modes of transportation will be in big urban hubs, but their congestion will be an issue. We don’t have congestion, which is a business product delivery timing issue. One of the reasons Union Pacific located here in the late nineties was to get away from congestion found across the two river

bridges.”

By John Rech