Land Cleared in Milledgeville for Industrial Growth

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County cleared 44 acres of land to improve the industrial park.

Matt Poyner, the Executive Director of the Development Authority, says the improvements his department is making will help stimulate Milledgville’s economy.

“My job is to help create growth in this community and increase the tax base, so that’s just one way we’re doing it – by getting these sites ready,” Poyner says,” we need to be more proactive.”

In 2008, the city was hit hard by the economy, forcing development leaders to slow down on several industrial projects, and Mayor Richard Bentley says it’s challenging.

“We’re not the only ones that have suffered from job loses, in particularly industry closing; ours just happens to be a little but more complicated, and a little bit more slow to recovery, because of loss of jobs,” says Bentley.

This new project is expected to bring employment opportunities to 250 to 500 people, and types of business are welcome.

“We’d love to have a big business, small business, whatever, we need to get some growth here,” says Poyner.

“But what we’re doing now is attacking it from both ends. We’re looking at trying to create jobs though repurposes at Central State Hospital and use of those buildings, and on the other hand, certainly letting people know that we’re open to any opportunity for industrial growth,” says Bentley.

Poyner plans to recruit businesses during mid-fall after the land is cleared out.

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