Golden Triangle LINK to bring another megasite to Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Golden Triangle Development LINK is bringing another Tennessee Valley Authority Certified Megasite to Lowndes County.

This area is the only one to have multiple megasites.

Plans are underway now and the economic development team is ready to get rolling.

While it may be bare now, this field will be growing new economic development opportunities in Lowndes County.

Chief Executive Officer of the Golden Triangle LINK Joe Max Higgins said work has already begun.

“Our goal is to start this July do the diligence wrap it up by next July and then move forward with the acquisition of the site, the installation of the infrastructure, and the actual marketing of the site,” said Higgins.

The 1,500 acres of land sit just north of Paccar.

This area continues to set the record for TVA megasites.

“Nobody else in the TVA service territory has. There are only nine of them and nobody else has ever done more than one except us,” said Higgins.

The Golden Triangle has lost much of its new developable land over the years because of industries that have come in. Companies like Steel Dynamics and Paccar are on megasites.

The position of the previous four and the new ones were strategically planned.

“These three lowndes county megasites don’t quite touch each other but they are just right there. One is east of the airport, one is west of the airport, one is northwest of the airport to GTR and this new one is going to be due north to GTR. It’s not a coincidence that we are putting all this stuff out there by the airport. That’s one of our gems We are lucky to have a regional airport most communities this size don’t have that. This helps our airport because of corporate travel for GTR,” said Higgins.

Lowndes County Port Manager Jason Colburn said the accessibility that companies have to move goods plays a key role in industries choosing the Golden Triangle.

Another megasite means more opportunities to grow.

“A fifth mega site could mean more throughput tunnage we’re all about commerce on the river and commerce really in general and so that would definitely boost the economy here in the golden triangle area,” said Colburn.

Needing several permits and having to follow strict regulations, Higgins said several factors go into developing a mega site.

“It’s not just the dirt it’s all the other things that go with it and if it were easy a lot of other places would do it but it’s not,” said Higgins.

The Golden Triangle LINK is planning to go in front of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors next week to get things approved.

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