Work on city spec building underway

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Local and state officials broke ground on the city's new industrial spec building Friday morning, displaying the county's latest effort to attract new business.
The 52,500 square feet building is being constructed just off Walnut Gate Road. When completed, the complex will have a 3,700 square feet office area and an expansion pad that would accommodate another 52,500 square feet building.
Groundwork is already underway and is expected to be completed by the end of next week.
"We have been advocating the need for a spec building for three years," said Mitch Mays, executive director of the Franklin County Development Authority.
"The city of Russellville stepped up and made this happen."
The city has worked with Community Spirit Bank, Valley State Bank, CB&S Bank, First Metro Bank and Bank Independent to make the project happen.
David Hutcheson, director of recruitment for the Alabama Development Office, said that 85 percent of companies who work with his office looking for a place to locate want to move into a pre-constructed building.
"This is a great day for Russellville and Franklin County," Hutcheson said. "This is a very bold move in these economic times, but it shows a unified effort and commitment to working to create jobs for this area."
Hutcheson said that most areas are eliminated early in the recruitment process when there is no building available.
"The community should see this as an investment into the future," Hutcheson said.
Russellville Mayor Troy Oliver said that while he was working in the private sector, there was a theory about buildings and personnel.
"We always said that unless you have people working in a building, the building is a liability," Oliver said. "So the work is not finished. We all have to work together to provide a labor ready workforce. We have all the resources it takes to make this successful."