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Cocke County cites $4M in state commitments as industrial park, Cosby High School work advance
Summary
Cocke County leaders told the legislative body the county secured roughly $4 million in state funding to advance utilities for a new industrial park and that ARPA‑funded work at Cosby High School is underway and on schedule, with contractors noting an approximate $4 million project cost and an early payout of about $277,000.
Cocke County officials told the legislative body on Jan. 20 that state economic development funding and recent grant awards are advancing an industrial park and related infrastructure, and that construction at Cosby High School is moving forward.
Mayor (name given in the meeting) said the county recently received a state commitment of roughly $4 million — with other references to $4.5 million for related industry support — that will help retain more than 300 manufacturing jobs. "That was a huge deal for us," the mayor said, noting Cocke County's workforce exceeded 15,000 and that manufacturing accounts for more than one‑in‑five local jobs.
Derek Brady, a representative of the Cocke County Partnership, said the state committed $4,000,000 toward construction of a sewer line for the industrial park and that work on water, street lights, three‑phase power and broadband is in progress. "All the grading is finished," Brady said, adding the partnership is preparing environmental and construction documents and will later issue requests for qualifications and bids for a project manager and subcontractors.
Contractor and school officials also updated the body on the ARPA‑funded Cosby High School sewer/enclosure project. Casey Kelly and a contractor representative said the project has broken ground and that Rockwell (the contractor) pulled its construction crew to meet a nonnegotiable deadline tied to the ARPA funding. The contractor described the project as "about a $4,000,000 project" and said the county had approved a pay request of about $277,000 to date.
Officials emphasized the projects are being funded largely by grants. "The industrial park, all paid for it through grants," the mayor said. Both the mayor and Brady described intensified grant‑seeking as a recent success, with more grant awards helping to limit closures at convenience centers and support other county services.
County and project representatives cautioned that materials and weather could affect schedules, but said current inspections and oversight — including periodic reviews by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation — showed work is proceeding. Kelly said he visits the Cosby site multiple times per week and expects the project to meet its mid‑year deadline if weather and materials cooperate.
The legislative body did not take formal action on these reports beyond receiving them. Officials encouraged residents and commissioners to attend related public meetings and future procurement steps when the county issues requests for proposals.
The next procedural steps: the county partnership expects to complete environmental work, issue RFQs for a project manager, and move to contractor bidding; the Cosby High School project will continue through contractor pay requests and engineer verification until final completion.
