Tyler Whetstone

Jackson Sun

There's some new excitement around the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County, with state officials confirming the site is one of two finalists to house an international company looking to expand its operations.

Chassen Haynes, director of business development with the state's Economic and Community Development office, would not name the company and called the deal “confidential,” but he did say “foreign ownership” are planning to visit the site early next month.

The plant would be situated on about 545 to 560 acres — cut off from the contiguous 3,300 acres — and would bring about 100 research and development jobs. The site would include a testing track and “proving ground,” Haynes told the Memphis Regional Megasite Authority Board on Monday.

Board chairman and Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith said the company is down to Jackson and a site outside of Atlanta. The company started 10 months ago with a list of 50 possible locations.

Smith said the company is not a major manufacturer like a car plant, but said West Tennesseans will have to take what they can get for now.

“We’ve been in the hunt before where we didn’t get picked, but hopefully this company picks us,” he said. “I know they like the Memphis area so that bodes well for us.

“You have to take them as they come and you have to make sure they have a potential for job creation for a lot of folks in West Tennessee."

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Officials said the project would take between 27 to 38 months for completion. Amy New, assistant commissioner for rural development for the state, said the project is a massive undertaking that takes time and plants can take up to three years to build.

“We’re basically building a city ... when it comes to infrastructure,” New said. “It takes time and we have not slowed down at all.”

New said the state building commission approved another $28 million for the site, which will help improve the the water force main and will pump waste water, once cleaned, to the Mississippi River.

Jimmy West, capital projects director for ECD, said the megasite’s right-aways for the power grid to power to plant are almost complete. Highway 222, the main thoroughfare into the site, is nearly complete as well, he said.

There have been hours of discussion centered around health care options, or the lack of it, for megasite employees and their families. Smith was recently quoted as saying the county is doing all it can.

Sen. Ed Jackson, R-Jackson, said West Tennessee Healthcare has expressed interest in some sort of medical facility close to the megasite. Smith said the region would make something work.

“I guess the Megasite got placed in Haywood County because it was one of the few places in the world that you could buy 4,100 acres of land and you only get two houses,” Smith said. “So our tax base isn’t great, but we’ll do the best we can to operate whatever we have to provide with the assistance from our friends in West Tennessee.”

Reach Tyler at (731) 425-9629. Follow him on Twitter @tyler_whetstone.