Etowah County, AL – The Etowah County Commission has been awarded a second SEEDS grant to support critical water and sewer infrastructure at the NEAR Megasite, marking another significant investment from the State of Alabama toward the county’s economic development efforts.

This new funding, provided by the Alabama Department of Commerce through Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) Program, is designated to enhance the site’s readiness for industrial development.  The $3,330,270 grant, along with $2.5 million in local match, will fund the installation of the final 2.5 miles of water line along Canoe Creek Road, which will connect the 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tank, underneath Interstate 59, to the recently completed water line currently ending at Steele Station Road.  “This SEEDS grant is a game-changer for Etowah County,” said Commission Chairman Joey Statum.  “It allows us to take yet another huge step forward in preparing the Near Megasite for job-creating industrial investment. We’re grateful to the state for recognizing the potential of this site and supporting our efforts to make it development-ready.”

In addition to securing the SEEDS Grant, the Commission awarded a $3,768,149 construction bid for the final phase of the water project, plus extension of just over one mile of sewer line, north to the interstate. The project was designed by GMC (Goodwyn Mills Cawood), and the contract was awarded to the low bidder, Alabama Grading and Excavation, a local contractor. “We can finally fill the tank,” remarked Commissioner Craig Inzer, Jr., who has devoted much of his time as Commissioner to this project.  “We’ve come so far in the last five years.  Now it’s just a matter of finding the right industry for the site and for Etowah County.”  

The Commission took the opportunity to recognize the partners that have helped make the Megasite a reality: the State of Alabama, acting through the Department of Commerce, EDPA (Economic Development Partnership of Alabama), the Alabama Department of Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, Alabama Power, Mayor Taylor and the Rainbow City Council, the Utilities Board of Rainbow City, Boaz Gas, and the Gadsden-Etowah IDA.  The Commission thanked all the federal and state representatives that have supported the project, noting that nearly $20 million in federal funds is committed to the project, along with almost $17 million in state funding, which includes the previous Growing Alabama monies and the first round of SEEDS funding.