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Council approves up to $400,000 CDC infrastructure grant for Junior Smokehouse expansion in Mizell Industrial Park
Summary
The City Development Corporation and council approved an infrastructure construction grant of up to $400,000 to Junior Smokehouse for utility improvements to support a $17 million expansion at the Mizell Industrial Park; staff said the utility upsizing will benefit the industrial park generally and the company expects to add jobs.
The El Campo City Council on July 14 approved a City Development Corporation infrastructure construction grant of up to $400,000 to Junior Smokehouse to support a 35,000-square-foot expansion in the Mizell Industrial Park.
Carolyn Gibson, CDC executive director, said Junior Smokehouse bought the former Silver Streak fish plant property and plans a roughly $17 million expansion that the company estimates will create more than 140 jobs at current operations plus an additional 15 jobs in the first year. Gibson told the council the $400,000 request is intended primarily to cover utility costs — enlargement of water and wastewater lines and a grinder — and that CenterPoint has provided incentives for a gas-line extension. "The utility expense is 400,000," Gibson said.
Council discussion included concerns about repeated incentives to the same company. A speaker who identified himself as a resident and former council member noted Junior Smokehouse has received prior city incentives; he and other council members urged a more holistic approach to infrastructure improvements that could attract additional businesses to the park. City staff said upsizing of water and wastewater lines and the gas extension will benefit the entire Mizell Industrial Park and future tenants.
The CDC board unanimously recommended the infrastructure grant; the council adopted the recommendation by voice vote. Staff said the grant program requires the applicant to document investment and job creation and that the grant will be processed per CDC procedures.
