MORGANTOWN, Ky.—The City of Morgantown, Butler County and South Central Kentucky Economic Development today announced the area’s first certified state Build-Ready site.
Build-Ready sites are designed to meet the complex needs of today’s businesses. With these site locations, much of the background work is already completed, and companies have the freedom to begin construction in a short time frame. According to state specifications, Build-Ready sites have community control of the land to be developed, a prepared building pad (prepared ground/soil/environmental studies), completed preliminary design work, approved site plan permits and necessary utility, and adequate transportation infrastructure in place. The long lead times for determining if a site can be used are eliminated and a structure can be built immediately.
The site will be the first Build-Ready location in Morgantown and Butler County. This 9.5-acre site has met Build-Ready qualifications thanks to help from TVA’s InvestPrep Funds made possible by the City’s relationship with Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation. Lot 1 in the Morgantown Industrial Park features a graded pad ready to accept a 50,000 square foot building with the ability to expand beyond its current footprint. Electric from WRECC, water from the Butler County Water District, along with sewer and gas from the Morgantown Utilities Commission is already routed to the property lines, with fiber-optic lines nearby as well. This new Build-Ready site is located near Corvac Composites, Pride Plastics, Real Alloy Recycling, Irving Materials, and is a short drive away from Delta Faucet.
The City of Morgantown’s employment in the manufacturing industry has seen tremendous growth over the last decade. It has grown at an annual rate of 7.7% compared to the national growth rate of just one percent each year. This Build-Ready site will allow Morgantown to continue that growth by giving its existing businesses an efficient place to expand to or for new businesses looking to set up a new operation in the community. Not only has Morgantown seen growth over the last ten years, but the city also has a strong base of employment to draw talented workers from surrounding areas. Morgantown has three times as many manufacturing jobs as the national average for a community of this size.
“South Central Kentucky has flourished with site advancements. Taking the steps to ensure our sites have this special designation makes for a faster turnaround bringing new jobs and new business to our hometown,” Mayor Billy Phelps said. “Because of programs like this, we can give even more back to our citizens by proactively helping move businesses to Morgantown.”
“We are proud to announce our first Build-Ready site in Butler County with the City of Morgantown.” stated Judge Executive Tim Flener. “Companies looking to locate in the area, now have a turn-key land option designed with their success in mind.”
For more information on the Morgantown Build-Ready site, contact Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Ron Bunch, CEcD.
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