Beshear helps cut ribbon on Johnson industrial site, announced funding for local fire department

Gov. Andy Beshear (far right) listened as Johnson County Judge-Executive Mark McKenzie addressed the crowd at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for the Hager Hill Industrial Park, which is the first location in the region to receive state Build-Ready certification.

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

HAGER HILL — Gov. Andy Beshear stopped in Johnson County Friday to cut the ribbon for the region’s first Build-Ready site and also announced funding for a local fire department and a road project.

Beshear joined local officials announce the addition of a new Build-Ready site at Hager Hill Industrial Park, positioning the location to attract new business to the region.

To be Build-Ready certified, a site must include a pad ready to accommodate a building of 50,000 square feet with the ability to expand to 100,000 square feet or more – and utilities extending to the site’s edge. Applicants – usually a city, county or economic development group – must have previously filed the necessary permits, as well as preliminary building plans, cost estimates, and schedule projections. Applicants also are asked to provide a rendering of a potential building for the site.

With a Build-Ready site, much of the work – aside from construction – has already been completed. That includes control of the land to be developed, archaeological, environmental and geotechnical studies performed, construction of a building pad, preliminary design work, approved site plan permits and necessary infrastructure in place. On a Build-Ready site, construction can begin immediately.

The Hager Hill site, located near the former American Standard building, will include a 50,000-square-foot building pad on 15.1 acres and be developed and marketed as an industrial site appropriate for light industrial use. The property has Class I rail access and is accessible by an AA-rated truck route.

Additional utilities include a 3-inch steel gas pipeline less than 300 feet from the site, readily available 100G ethernet service, as well as dark fiber, a 10-inch waterline that can provide 250,000 gallons per day (GPD) without upgrades, and an existing sewer pump station near the site is in the process of being upgraded to a 50,000 GPD capacity.

Beshear said a site Build-Ready site gives “Kentucky a competitive advantage in the site selection process and are a win-win for both businesses and communities.”

“They allow companies to start operations more quickly and efficiently, which creates quality jobs for families in the area,” he said. I am extremely excited about today’s ribbon-cutting and look forward to the future opportunities this site will bring.”

Johnson County’s Judge-Executive Mark McKenzie said that the Hager Hill site “demonstrates that Johnson County is open for business and ready for development.”

“Johnson County has much to offer in terms of infrastructure, workforce, great schools, recreation and more, therefore making our community a great place for companies to choose as their next home,” McKenzie said. “I want to thank the fiscal court and our partnering agencies for working together to achieve the first Build-Ready-certified site in the area.”

One East Kentucky President and CEO Chuck Sexton said that the “most critical piece of attracting new jobs into rural communities is having publicly controlled property that is ready for construction immediately.”

“Johnson County has opened itself, and the OEK region, up to even more opportunities for growth with their investment in this site and their diligent work to ensure this site was designated as our region’s first Build-Ready industrial site by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development,” Sexton said.

Also during his visit to Johnson County, Beshear announced a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to the fiscal court to expand and upgrade the W.R. Castle Fire Station and presented $28,144 in Kentucky Transportation Cabinet funding to resurface portions of Deboard Hollow Road.

McKenzie, W.R. Castle Fire Department (WRCFD) Chief Paul Burchett, fire fepartment board chairman Paul Daniel, volunteer firefighters and other state and local leaders joined Beshear and his senior advisor, Rocky Adkins, for the presentation.

The grant, administered by the Department for Local Government, will fund a 2,000-square-foot addition to the current W.R. Castle Fire Station along U.S. Highway 23 at Wittensville, which was constructed in 1981. The new expansion will include the addition of a large training area, additional equipment storage, additional secure storage, office space and a working kitchen.

The new training facility will allow the fire department to meet the increasing need for training in emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic and allow the firefighters to safely socially distance during these training exercises. The site and facility will continue to be owned, operated, maintained and insured by the fire department.

McKenzie said W.R. Castle Fire and Rescue is a “very active all-volunteer department responding to an average of 150 calls annually.”

“Department leadership approached Johnson County about applying on their behalf for CDBG funds to renovate and expand their existing station in 2018,” he said. “The department was awarded funds prior to COVID, but as a result of the increase in cost of construction materials, additional funds were needed to make the project a reality. The Department for Local Government recognizing both the need for the project and that it was ready to go to construction if the monies were in place, offered additional CDBG funding so that the project can now go forward. Johnson County and W.R. Fire and Rescue would like to thank Gov. Beshear for the additional award of funds and are looking forward to completing the new station very soon.”