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Funding for Greene County’s industrial park released

By Josh Krysak 3 min read

U.S. Rep. John Murtha announced Wednesday that a defense appropriations bill that moved to the Senate for approval contains funding for area programs, including the anchor tenant in Greene County’s largest industrial project. Murtha said included in the legislation is funding for the RJ Lee defense project at the Evergreene Technology Park is included in the bill that now awaits Senate approval.

“These programs are vital to our national security,” Murtha said. “These employees are both supporting our troops by providing quality products and reducing the nations military costs by producing them at competitive prices.”

According to Greene County Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Don Chappel, the funding is a third round of contract negotiations with the U.S. Air Force with RJ Lee who works to supply the military.

Chappel said the push for a third year of contracts is just one of many steps toward getting the defense contractor established at the site, something he hopes for early next year.

“There is dirt moving down there and bulldozers moving earth as far as you can see,” Chappel said Wednesday.

Chappel said two contractors are now on site at Evergreene, working to excavate and to install sewerage and storm water drains. He said water will be the next step, followed by constructing the building to house RJ Lee.

“We are just waiting for the pad to be ready to start building,” Chappel said.

Last October, Horizon Properties, one of the primary developers of the Southpointe complex along Interstate 79 in Washington County, signed a contract with Greene County Industrial Developments Inc. to work with the GCIDA to complete the massive 228-acre Evergreene project.

He said Phase 1 of the park will include the RJ Lee Group, a defense contractor through the U.S. Air Force that will relocate to the park through $4.25 million in federal funds, the Evergreene Technology Center, which will serve as the park’s nerve center, and an open office building.

Horizon officials said the total site preparation will cost about $8.1 million for the park, with an estimated $3.4 million for Phase 1 site work.

More than 2.7 million yards of dirt must be moved for the 14-parsel park.

RJLG will be the first tenant at the park, and the government subsidy will be used to build a wear debris data repository center.

RJLG has partnered with the Air Force for the project, which, officials said, could produce up to 250 jobs over the next few years.

Chappel said the project began in earnest last year after more than three years of planning with about $2.5 million allotted toward the proposed plan for RJLG, $1.2 million for the building and $1.3 million for infrastructure.

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