Despite a flurry of weather-related delays in recent weeks, work on the Carroll County Technology Park is moving full steam ahead, and it should be wholly complete by sometime this summer.
All this week, crews have been hard at work leveling and compacting the area just off of the Carrollton 166 Bypass. According to project manager Randy Simpkins, this initial grading will last into the spring. Once that work is complete, all that stands between companies laying claim to the site is the paving of roads into the complex, which should put the opening of the park at sometime in the summer months.
Carroll County has seen its share of rough weather this year, with unseasonable rain in the late fall and early winter and the recent snow and ice storms. Altogether, the wet weather has made it difficult for crews to work at the tech park, as wet dirt can’t be successfully moved or compacted. This week, though, has proven to be a different story, Simpkins said, and if Mother Nature cooperates, the schedule on the park should not change.
Bids on the bridge that will span a tributary of Buffalo Creek located on the site will be opened on Feb. 24, with the Carroll County Board of Commissioners to vote to award the bid at its March meeting.
Even with the weather-related delays, Simpkins said, the park is progressing well, and once it is open to new businesses, it will certainly be a major asset to Carroll County.
“We’ve been delayed because of the weather, especially the snow and the ice,” he said. “But we’ve had a really great week, and I’m optimistic about how it’s going. It’ll be a great draw to bring in new businesses, which will certainly create local jobs, and that’s what we need.”
When it was originally conceived several years ago, local officials made the decision to limit the tech park to high-end companies, like technology firms and pharmaceutical labs. This ensures that the park remains “green” and free of polluting emissions.
The location of the park, just off the Carrollton Bypass, will provide companies with a redundancy of fiber-optical connections. This means that businesses that rely on being connected to the internet at all times will never have to worry about losing that connection.
Commission Chairman Bill Chappell said the tech park is only one part of the county government's overall plan to improve the area for citizens and tourists alike.
"I know that good jobs are critical to Carroll County and west Georgia. The tech park is a key to bringing those jobs into the county. But it is only piece of the puzzle to improving the lifestyles and quality of life of our citizens," Chappell said. "We are determined to address all the other elements that are vital to improving our county. However, I am very happy that the tech park is moving along, and I believe that we will see results of our efforts in the near future."
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