Lowndes Megasite Possibilities And More Economic Development

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County is in the running for two TVA certified sites, that could mean more industry and more jobs.

Golden Triangle Development Link CEO Joe Max Higgins talked about the plans on Tuesday with the Columbus Rotary Club.

He says both sites are near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, including a 1,200 acre Megasite and the other is a 500 acre Supersite.

Steel Dynamics and Paccar are both located on a Megasite. The same plans were followed for the location where Yokohama was built in Clay County.

Now, there are high hopes for the two undeveloped areas in Lowndes County.

“We put together three mega sites over the last 12 years, and we got three super companies on those mega sites. We put together a fourth mega site. I can’t guarantee you the same results are gonna happen, but I can tell you we are three for three,” said Higgins.

Higgins says two areospace companies are looking at sites near the airport.

One could bring 500 jobs and the other 1,000 jobs. It’s unclear when or if the companies will make a decision.

In other economic development news, the land KiOR once operated on could turn out to be a wealth of opportunity for the Lowndes County Port.

Higgins says three companies are looking at the land on what is known as “The Island” in Columbus.

The land KiOR was on is now being marketed as a 90 plus acre site with infrastructure in place.

Higgins says the LINK has turned down some companies who wanted to locate there.

The current prospects say their projects will invest more than one hundred million dollars and employ more than one hundred people.

Higgins doesn’t know when a final decision will be made by the companies.