Gov. Brian Kemp says Bryan County mega-site is about progress and jobs
SAVANNAH, Ga (WSAV) – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on Friday that a planned mega-site in Bryan County is a tremendous opportunity for the region and state in terms of new growth and potentially thousands new jobs.
“No one has any choice but (us) with this site here,†the governor said.
The massive site spans nearly 2,300 acres and is located just off Highway 280 near Ellebelle.
“Location wise, you can’t do better than where we are now,†said Anna Chafin of the Development Authority of Bryan County. “We are adjacent to Interstate 16, less than 15 miles from Interstate 95 and less than 30 miles from the Port of Savannah and the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport.â€
Chafin also clarified that the mega-site project (the area must be over 1,000 acres) was formulated to attract a major manufacturing plant. She says the plan is not to divide the site into smaller segments for a number of different companies.
Although this is a state and local partnership, much of the credit for the project has gone to the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority (JDA). This group is made up of leaders from the counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham and Effingham.
Governor Kemp told the crowd that gathered to celebrate the realization that the “speed to market” was ready.
“It’s about how quickly this site can be set up, how quickly we can get utilities here, how quickly we could have a business up and running,†Kemp said. “A lot of the deals that we’re doing right now – these companies say they have to be up and running in Q1 2023 or Q2 2023. We can do that with this site. “
The sale of the land is expected to take place by the end of July and would be the largest such sale in the history of the state.
“So the amount of money to prepare this site, even if it is a lot, is nothing compared to the big picture of the economic impact it will have on this region, literally for generations,” a declared the governor.
Kemp said it was ultimately about keeping the state ahead of the game and ahead of the competition from other states.