Industrial Park receives "AdvantageSite" designation

Michelle Mann/mmann@eprisenow.com
The Yancey Parker Industrial Park has received state recognition with its designation as an Alabama AdvantageSite. Among those on hand for the presentation Wednesday were, from left, Alabama Development Office Senior Project Manager Gary Faulkner, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Senior Economic Development Analyst Tammy Radmad, Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell, Chairman of the Enterprise Industrial Development Board Whit Armstrong and Enterprise Coffee Geneva Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Frank Thompson.

The Yancey Parker Industrial Park has received state recognition as the first Alabama AdvantageSite in a municipality south of Montgomery.
City and state civic and industry leaders gathered Wednesday for the presentation which marked the 12th such designation in the state.
The industrial site preparedness program was created in order to make the state more competitive for companies considering a location in Alabama, said Alabama Development Office Senior Project Manager Gary Faulkner.
“It allows communities to demonstrate that due diligence has been done on the designated site.”
The AdvantageSite program requires that community economic development organizations provide documentation specific to a proposed industrial site, Faulkner said. “These include meet size, zoning and accessibility requirements.”
“The AdvantageSite designation demonstrates the serious commitment to economic development shared by the city of Enterprise and the city of Enterprise Industrial Board,” said Mayor Kenneth W. Boswell. “We are committed to taking the steps necessary to expedite and simplify the decision making process.”
“The goal in economic development site searches is to ‘stay on the list’ and be the last site on the prospect’s list,” said Enterprise Coffee Geneva Economic Development Executive Director Frank Thompson. “This distinction for the Yancey Parker Industrial Park is an important factor in staying on a prospect’s list.”
The AdvantageSite program is jointly sponsored by the Alabama Development Office, Alabama Gas Corporation, Alabama Power Company, EDPA, the North Alabama Industrial Development Association and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, Faulkner said.
“We recognize that site location decisions require detailed information and shorter deadlines,” he added. “Our economic development team knows that companies seeking to locate a new facility are allowing less time for site selection, site development and project construction.”
Among the criteria for the designation is that the site have a minimum of 25 acres suitable for development in a prepared industrial park or 50 acres suitable for development not located in an industrial park and that the site is accessible, at a minimum, by a two-lane, paved public roadway.
Zoning for the site clearly permits industrial land uses or, where no zoning exists, an industrial use compatible with existing land uses in the vicinity said Faulkner.
“Once a site has received AdvantageSite designation, the site will keep the designation for two years, provided that the site continues to meet the criteria and the applicant complies with the reporting requirements.”