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Cocke County reports $2M sewer work, applies for $20M EDA grant to restore Pigeon River; bike-trail federal review underway
Summary
Cocke County Partnership said grading is complete at the Smoky Mountain Innovation Park with $2 million in sewer work under way (no local match), and officials announced a $20 million EDA application for Pigeon River restoration and bank stabilization; the bike-trail environmental review has been submitted to the Forest Service and awaits federal approval before bids are issued.
Mr. Brady, speaking for the Cocke County Partnership, updated commissioners that grading at the Smoky Mountain Innovation Park is complete and $2 million of sewer-line installation work funded by a grant is underway; the Partnership said no local match is required for that work.
Brady said the Partnership is in final design phases (90% design meeting planned) to ensure three-phase power, street lighting, broadband/telecom, water lines and landscaping are all coordinated for the industrial park. He described sewer capacity as a significant advantage for recruiting industry and said the timeline for construction and utility work remains roughly mid-summer.
On the Pigeon River, Brady said the Partnership applied to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for approximately $20 million to support river restoration, bank stabilization and related visitor improvements. He framed the restoration as an economic driver, noting pre‑flood visitation as high as about 250,000 annual visitors and last year’s figure near 135,000.
Brady also said the county has submitted a four- to five-hundred-page environmental package for the proposed bike trail to the U.S. Forest Service, has completed appraisals and appraisal reviews for potential trailhead property, and will issue an RFQ for a project manager and later an RFP for trail builders once federal approval is received. He said some trail segments will be built to accommodate adaptive cycling for people with disabilities and that multiple contractors may be used for different trail phases.
Officials said the county has secured additional state funding for property acquisition and a $100,000 phase‑one environmental grant with a $5,000 IDB contribution for new industrial property. Brady reported active grant awards in the county totalled $19,030,235 with more than $42,500,000 in total active/closed/submitted grants since August, and praised staff for grant-writing efforts.
Next steps: Partnership staff will proceed with remaining design tasks, await Forest Service clearance for trail work, and pursue federal EDA funding for Pigeon River repairs; county staff will return with contract documents and any required local match details when known.
