Blue Ridge, Ga – Several items were covered at the quarterly Fannin Development Authority (FDA) board meeting on October 21, 2014. One of which was the a continuation of the discussion about the “shell facility.”The shell facility is a proposed 20,000-sqft building to be built on a 10.87-acre sight in McCaysville in hopes of being able to offer as an incentive to draw companies to our area to provide work and economic growth. (To learn more about the 10.87-acre property click the following link: Info on 10.87-Acre Lot in McCaysville)

The FDA has been working with the TVA Economic Development to identify the skill sets of the available workforce (both in commuters and non-commuters), sectors the county should be targeting based on real market data, the transferrable skill sets within the labor market that, with minimal training, could be utilized by the identified target sectors, and the average wage level of each identified target sector.

With the information listed above the county will have a better idea of the types of business’ and/or companies that the county should be going after to present the shell facility to as incentive to move to the Fannin County area.

The total anticipated cost for the project is said to be $700,000. The county has put in financing applications to three different suitors: Appalachian Regional Commission ($200,000), OneGeorgia Authority ($119,500-$304,500), and TVA InvestPrep ($360,000).

The FDA will know whether each application was approved by the end of October.

If awarded two of the desired financing options, the following proposed project schedule is most likely to occur:

Final Architectural Design/Engineering Plans & Specifications, Permits November/December 2014
Bid Advertisement December/January 2015
Bid Review/Certified Bid Tabulation January/February 2015
Notice to Proceed March 2015
Construction Initiation March 2015
Construction Completion September 2015
Punch-List, Final Inspection September/October 2015
Project Closeout November/December 2015

After the update on the shell facility project, FDA Director Stephanie Scearce moved on to say that the Blue Ridge Industries building, that A&S clothing and Pulse Medical lease, on Ada street is in need of five new automatic sprinkler heads.

The combined cost of all five heads and installation is an estimated $1700. The board was all in favor of the project and voted to move forward.

Scearce also made it known that the Blue Ridge Industries facility is in need of landscaping to prevent the building from leaking when heavy rains come. Scearce said that by removing dirt from certain areas and placing dirt in other areas, along with implementation of storm water drainage improvements, that the property would not allow as much standing water and therefore fix the leakage problem in the facility.

The board voted to move forward with the $3200 cost that would include the drainage improvements, the removing of two trees, and the hydroseeding.

The FDA meeting wrapped with Scearce being recognized as being asked to be a part of the TVA Rural Economic Development Cabinet. The cabinet was created for implementing short and long-term goals advocating economic development in rural communities throughout the TVA service area.

The board has seven members spanning from Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia with Scearce being one of them.