Three cities share in site development grants

State site grants were awarded to three municipalities as part of 10 development projects recently selected for funds by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. 

Lewisburg received $10,000 for due diligence on the Interstate 65 Commerce Park, Sparta received $71,280 for due diligence on the Sparta/White County Industrial site, and McMinnville received a joint award of $975,000 with Warren County for sewer infrastructure on the Mountain View Industrial Park North Site.  

More than $13 million were spread among 10 total projects, which also included awards to the Industrial Development Board (IDB) of Montgomery County, the IDB of Roane County, the IDB of Robertson County, the IDB of Scott County, the Jackson Energy Authroity, Morgan County Economic Development Board, and Nickajack Port Authority.  

The funds are designed to help communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements to land economic development projects and achieve Select Tennessee site certification. 

The SDG program is part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Act, which provides funding to improve the economies of Tennessee’s rural communities. Since 2016, TNECD has awarded 220 SDGs across the state, totaling over nearly $150 million in assistance to local communities and generating 8,471 new jobs for through projects that landed on sites improved through the program.