Workforce Housing Units Coming To South Dade
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Photo by Lydia Berglar – SMH Construction is building a 24-unit apartment complex across from Southeast Lineman Training Center’s global campus.
The highlight of the July 21 Industrial Development Authority meeting was the announcement of a 24-unit apartment complex being built near the Dade County Sports Complex, but first, Evan Stone (executive director) reported on a few other small matters.
He brought two lease agreements (both for $1,000 a month) with Vanguard National Trailer Corp to the board. Vanguard needed more space to house trailers, so the IDA put together leases for two lots inside the existing industrial park. The board approved both.
Stone also noted that while attending a Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership event, he spoke with Lindsay Hiatt (director of economic development for Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership). He mentioned the 42 acres that Dade’s IDA has available to Hiatt. “I said, ‘That’s not a gigantic park,’ but she said it’s more than Hamilton County’s got.”
Because Hamilton County doesn’t have the land available for new industries, companies looking to build/purchase/rent are directing their attention toward northwest Georgia.
Stone asked the roughly 14 counties represented at the event if they’re also seeing an increase in companies looking for spec buildings. He thinks that the America First policy is causing companies to need immediately available space.
The other counties are also seeing the demand, but they don’t have spec buildings ready. Stone said trends had shifted away from spec buildings years ago, “and now because of the speed of the market, it looks like spec buildings [are coming back].”
Lori Dowdy (Region 1 senior project manager for Georgia Department of Economic Development) was at the IDA meeting, and she weighed in, saying that other communities have a number of empty buildings available that were built as spec warehouse space. “A manufacturer cannot necessarily go into those buildings because it wasn’t built for manufacturing…you just have to be careful if you decide to build a spec building that it’s not just a warehouse space.”
On the economic development side, Stone has met with three different realtors recently. He said, “There’s a lot of kicking the tires going on right now on the economic development side in the county as well as the industrial side.”
Stone then talked about what he referred to as “workforce housing” that is coming to a lot just north of the sports complex. He invited the IDA to a groundbreaking on Aug. 4 for this 24-unit apartment complex.
He didn’t know the price range or size range, but he said they’ll be two- and three-bedroom units. He also said that the contractor, Steven Henry of SMH Homes, has said that these units won’t be for Southeast Lineman Training Center students.
The Sentinel contacted Henry but has not heard back as of press time.
Stone said other parties are also looking at doing small housing projects like this.
The board entered executive session to discuss three projects. They did not vote on anything after the session.
