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Giles County economic development staff report steady labor force, site grant progress and potential auction at Exit 14
Summary
County economic development staff told the commission the labor force held near 14,700, a site-development grant for Lot 5 is being revised to stay within a roughly $1.2 million budget and property at Exit 14 may go to auction midyear with at least two interested truck-stop operators.
Mister Reese, economic development staff member, told the Giles County Commission that the countylabor force remained about 14,700 people and that roughly 550 were unemployed, putting the local unemployment rate at about 3.7%.
The update focused on recent business inquiries and progress on a site-development grant for Lot 5. "We did get a site development grant to improve lot 5 to hopefully get it ready to put a building on at some point in the future," Mister Reese said. He said engineering work has been completed but grading plans had to be revised because initial cost estimates exceeded the grantbudget.
The grant the county received is about $1,200,000, Reese said: approximately $1,000,000 from the state and about $180,000 in matching contributions, with half of that match from the county and half from the city. He said the revised grading plan should bring costs within the grant budget; the revised plan had been submitted to the state and was expected to be reviewed in about three to four weeks. Once approved, the county will be able to solicit bids for the work.
Reese described two business prospects recently pursued by county staff: a ceramic manufacturer seeking 10 to 20 acres with a preference for rail service, for which the county submitted the Mines Road property; and a building-products manufacturer seeking at least 15 greenfield acres, for which staff submitted Lot 5.
On Exit 14 property, Reese said the county had been told the process was expected to lead to an auction sometime in midyear, likely no earlier than June and more likely in June or July. He estimated the acreage at about 91 acres after portions owned by the city and others were taken into account. "We do have at least one other interested party that Im aware of," he said, naming Pilot Travel Centers and saying another truck-stop company had also called for information.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about acreage and timing; Reese described the general parcels included (land around the former KOA campground and parcels near the old Junction 64) but did not provide a final auction date.
Why it matters: the Lot 5 site grant, if implemented within the grant budget, positions the county to attract a building and potentially new jobs; the Exit 14 auction could affect large-scale commercial development and traffic near Pulaski.
The commission took no separate formal action on the update itself; staff said they would return with future procurement steps after state approval of the revised grading plan.
