Chickasaw County Promotes Megasite

By The Associated Press

OKOLONA — Economic developers say a new 959-acre industrial site in Chickasaw County is ready to be marketed to potential industries.

The new megasite is called the Chickasaw County Rail Site. The Chickasaw Journal reports that the site is located between Okolona and Egypt and next to the Kansas City Southern Railway and U.S. Highway 45 Alternate. It is less than 13 miles from the Aberdeen port of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Randy Kelley, executive director of Three Rivers Planning and Development District, said the site is under option for five years, with a five-year renewal option. It already has electricity available through a substation in the Egypt community that links to Okolona.

Three Rivers worked with the City of Okolona and the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors to develop the site and secure the land options and Kelley said it will be beneficial to the area.

“This opens doors Chickasaw County hasn’t had before,” Kelley said. “Economic development is not rocket science. You’ve got to have a competitive site. If you’re going to play ball, you’ve got to have a bat and a ball. You need a site that is marketable.”

Kelly said the three key ingredients include an adequate labor force, industry support in the community and a site on which to build.

The Tennessee Valley Authority developed the megasite concept in 2004 to attract large industries to north Mississippi.

Kelley discussed the megasite at the recent Okolona Area Chamber of Commerce banquet.

Categories: Local News

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