Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
C3 update spotlights 76‑acre 'North Bay' industrial site and brownfields work
Summary
Tom Wise Miller of the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance told the Fayette council about a proposed 76‑acre North Bay Industrial Site, wetlands delineation work, use of a prior $500,000 brownfields grant for assessment and planning, and marketing steps including listing the site on state and commercial databases.
Tom Wise Miller, representing the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance (C3), told the Fayette City Council the group is advancing a proposed 76‑acre industrial tract on the north side of town and pursuing state and federal supports to ready the site for industry.
“In this case, it was an acquisition, a really great site about 76 acres on the North side of town,” Miller said, describing the working name “North Bay Industrial Site” and noting its proximity to Walmart and a potential West Central Alabama Highway alignment that would shorten travel to I‑22 and Exit 30.
Miller said C3 used the state’s SEEDS (site development and improvement) program to support the acquisition and is carrying out due diligence: “the current project is to do a … due diligence on the front of that before purchasing … doing all the environmental studies,” and the consultant’s top question is whether a ditch on the property will be classified as wetlands.
C3 is also using an existing brownfields grant to support assessments and planning. “We’re operating off a previous 500,000 Veil brownfields grant,” Miller said, describing how brownfields work can include environmental assessments and conceptual planning to make properties more marketable.
To publicize the site, Miller said C3 can list qualifying properties on the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) at no cost and has placed the North Fayette Industrial Site on a commercial listing service (CRECZ), which has recorded several initial visits. He also described target sectors for recruitment this year — including defense, battery production and supply‑chain firms that could follow large projects such as Eli Lilly’s expansion in the state — and asked the council to clarify local priorities and appetite for incentives so C3 can pursue compatible projects.
Miller requested council direction on how much local matching or incentives the city would consider if a project required partial local investment.
Why it matters: Preparing an industrial site and securing infrastructure funding are prerequisites for landing manufacturers that bring jobs and capital. The council received the briefing to guide future decisions about incentives, matching funds and site development priorities.
