Livingston a step closer to seeing work begin at the Industrial Park as officials prepare to approve contracts for the project this month.
Capital Projects Coordinator Ray Evans said the city received 12 bids for the work, with nearly all submissions coming in below the initial cost estimates provided by engineers.
“We are in the process now of of sorting through those bids and vetting the contractors,” Evans said, “Making sure that they’re not only the low bidder but the qualified bidder as well,”
Evans said the project is significantly funded through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Evans said while the contract has not been officially awarded yet, all design work is complete and construction is expected to begin around July 1.
“The bid documents prescribed that this was a four month project,” Evans said. “So the contractors all the contractors that bid agreed that they could finish the work within a four month time frame.”
Evans said the timeline should result in the project being finished by the end of October.
“It’s always competitive and the more prepared you are the better chance you have in getting a prospect to come to your community,” Evans said. “And so by by having a lot available that’s that’s a plus. But by having a lot available that has a prepared building pad and utilities takes you up to a second or third level in the in the competition for industrial prospects.”
Evans said industrial prospects have become less patient over the last several years and often look to start operations much faster than in the past. Evans said the shift in the industry means the city must be closer to the finish line to remain in a good position to attract businesses.
“One thing is that this is the only remaining publicly owned industrial site in Overton County not just in Livingston but in Overton County,” Evans said. “So it’s important it’s important for for us to get this site as much prepared as we possibly can for that reason.”
Evans said the site already has access to water, sewer, natural gas, and telecommunications infrastructure that was installed when the park was originally developed decades ago. Evans said that while there are no specific industries committed to the site yet, completing the pad and utility work is essential because the county is virtually out of industrial inventory.
“I would also encourage both the city and the county to start looking for additional industrial sites because it’s I mean we’re virtually out of inventory,” Evans said. “Which that in and of itself makes us less competitive.”