FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2021) - With the certification of its first Build-Ready site, Morgantown today joined a growing list of Kentucky communities preparing for rapid development and job creation.
The Butler County tract, located in the Morgantown Industrial Park South, joins 16 other Build-Ready sites certified by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and available statewide for companies wishing to expedite their location process and begin construction immediately.
"For companies looking to build, outfit and start up a new facility, time is the critical element. Team Kentucky's Build-Ready program emphasizes that imperative and shows companies how the state, counties and local communities have already partnered to help ensure their immediate and long-term success," said Jeff Taylor, the cabinet's commissioner of business development.
The Morgantown site includes a 50,000-square-foot building pad on 9.5 acres, zoned for industrial use, and includes access to water, sewer, natural gas, electric and broadband.
Build-Ready certification means the site includes 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. It means the applicant - usually a city, county or economic development group - already filed the necessary permits, including water, environmental and geotechnical, as well as preliminary building plans, cost estimates and schedule projections. Applicants must also provide a rendering of a potential building for the site.
"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," said Morgantown Mayor Billy Phelps. "Because of programs like this, we can give even more back to our citizens by proactively helping move businesses to Morgantown."
The site met Build-Ready qualifications thanks to help from Tennessee Valley Authority's InvestPrep Funds made possible by the City's relationship with Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corp.
"We are proud to announce our first Build-Ready site in Butler County with the City of Morgantown," said Butler County Judge/Executive Tim Flener. "Companies looking to locate in the area, now have a turn-key land option designed with their success in mind."
To date, four former Build-Ready-certified sites in Graves, Laurel, Warren and Washington counties have been selected by companies for new location projects, highlighting the program's effectiveness at getting companies online in a quick, cost-efficient manner.
In addition to the new site in Morgantown, Kentucky's 16 other Build-Ready sites include tracts in the John H. Stigall Business Center in Danville, the Highland Glen Industrial Park in Glasgow, the Bluegrass Crossings Regional Business Centre in Beaver Dam, the 4 Star Regional Industrial Park in Henderson, the Shelton Lane Industrial Park in Russellville, Progress Park in Horse Cave, Paradise Regional Business Park in Greenville, Commerce Industrial Park in Hopkinsville, Heartland Commerce and Technology Park in Campbellsville, EastPark in Ashland, Princeton Industrial Park in Princeton, the Woodland Industrial Park in Mount Sterling, Harlan County Business Park in Cumberland, Lake Cumberland Regional Industrial Complex in Russell Springs, Interstate 24 Business Park in Cadiz and the Kentucky Transpark in Bowling Green.
Efforts toward certification continue on multiple other sites across the state.
More information on the Morgantown site is available here. Search for other Build-Ready sites in Kentucky here.
To learn more about the Build-Ready program, visit https://ced.ky.gov/selectkentucky/buildready/.
A detailed community profile for Butler County can be viewed here.