NorthStar Industrial Park Expansion Set to Attract New Tenants to Prominent Location

Oktibbeha County Bags $2.5 Million for NorthStar Expansion

Oktibbeha County is buzzing with the news of a $2.5 million state fund secured for the NorthStar Industrial Park’s expansion. This grant awarded by the Mississippi Development Authority will be used to develop a new 200,000-square-foot pad in the park that will be marketed to vie new companies’ attention to build their facilities.

District 2 Supervisor, Orlando Trainer touted at a recent board meeting that with the augmentation in place, they are not only avoiding any extra cost but are also using money already allocated to the project. “We’re looking forward to some big things coming out of that park. Looking forward to occupying and filling that park up with other tenants and things of that nature,” he exclaimed.

Funding and the Park’s Journey

The fund will require a match of $279,820 or 10% of the total project cost, whichever is less. This matching amount will be equally split between the county and the city of Starkville, utilizing the remaining funds from $14 million in bonds issued in 2017 for the park’s construction.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, 4-County Electric Power Association, Atmos Energy Corporation, and the Mississippi Department of Transportation have all contributed to the park’s development initiative.

Despite facing initial hurdles in the form of a civil lawsuit and a pandemic, NorthStar begun its development journey in 2017. Building on the nearly 400-acre space began to attract new industries, with Garan Manufacturing and Amazon “last mile” facility being the major tenants at present.

Preparing for a ‘Marquee Location’

The new pad under progression is significantly located near the Louisville exit visible from the Highway 82. Joe Max Higgins, the CEO of GTR LINK, stated that the site would be accessible through the original entrance of the industrial park and will have the potential to be a marquee location.

A pad, a site ready with a foundation, helps new companies commence construction avoiding the need for area-specific preparation. Higgins stated that the site is cleared of trees, has leveled terrain, and access to water, sewer, and electricity. Once the remaining vegetation is cleared and soil compacted, the pad will be ready for new construction— and this is set to commence this summer.

Plans In Place for Future Developments

Even though the pad is still under construction, Higgins revealed that the 200,000-square-foot space is already in the market to attract new tenants, although no discussions are currently in progress.

Higgins envisages more development in store post the project’s completion. Two more pad ready sites are planned for development, another 200,000-square-foot site and a 100,000-square-foot site. Higgins’s plan is to accommodate sites similar in size to the current Garan and Amazon locations along both sides of the park’s main road.

The development initiative, once accomplished, will place the park in a strong position for industrial recruitment, knocking six or nine months off a company’s timeline to begin production—a competitive advantage indeed.