Eleven potential Industrial sites have been approved to move forward in Gulf Power Company’s site certification program for Northwest Florida.
The sites from both public and private owners were submitted earlier this year as part of Gulf Power’s effort to help communities prepare locations to attract new industries and jobs to the region.
Gulf Power hired McCallum Sweeney, a nationally recognized consulting firm, to evaluate the sites and determine which were best suited for industrial use.
“Northwest Florida has quickly gone from having zero certified sites to potentially having 11 sites ready for development by September 2014,” said John Hutchinson, Gulf Power’s director of public affairs and economic development. “Having the McCallum Sweeney stamp of approval on these sites will make the region more competitive for economic development projects.”
McCallum Sweeney evaluates the properties, identifies improvements that must be made and then certifies the sites once they have met all the program requirements.
Landowners have one year to complete the improvements — everything from obtaining permits, improving topography and producing engineering reports to making sure adequate utilities are available. After the improvements are made, McCallum Sweeney will consider certifying the site.
Once certified, the sites will be marketed by local, regional and state economic development agencies to prospective companies.
The 11 sites include one each in Escambia, Walton and Okaloosa counties, two in Bay and Jackson counties and four in Santa Rosa County. Another site in Walton County could be added to the list in mid-October if plans for sufficient wastewater capacity that meet the consultant’s minimum criteria are submitted.