By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — The Flagship Enterprise Center will construct a new light manufacturing and prototyping facility designed to house up to eight new businesses.
City and Flagship representatives have been in talks with three or four companies interested in the space, Flagship President and CEO Chuck Staley said.
“At this interchange in light manufacturing and prototyping, there is no space,” he said of the new building’s location near Interstate 69’s Exit 22 on Anderson’s southwest side.
The $4 million building will be paid for using a $2.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The rest of the cost will be paid through a $400,000 commitment from the city and a loan secured by the Flagship. The land was purchased from the Anderson/Madison County Corporation for Economic Development.
“The EDA project is a lengthy process,” Staley said. “We’ve been working on this for probably 16 months maybe. There are a lot of steps.”
To secure the grant, the Flagship had to locate the property on which to build and prove the project makes economic sense. The original Flagship building also was built from an EDA grant.
Staley and others found out in September that they had received the grant, he said.
The new building could house up to 300-400 workers, depending on the makeup of the businesses there and whether they employ multiple shifts. Through an EDA requirement, the building must house at least two tenants. The new building likely will be for companies that are beyond the initial start-up stage.
“This will probably be for companies that are a little further along,” Staley said. “A building like this would be the second stage where they’re ready to move into an area where they can grow quicker.”
The facility’s intent is to create jobs and encourage private investment in Anderson and the surrounding areas, Staley said.
“The timing couldn’t have been better,” he said. “The Flagship is near full occupancy, and we are having ongoing discussions with potential investors and companies.”
The bidding process on construction is set to begin this month with a contractor selected in January, Staley said. Construction will begin in the spring. The building will join three other buildings on the Flagship campus: the Flagship Enterprise Center, the Energy Systems Center and the Anderson University Flagship Center.
The 80,000-square-foot building will have 12 docks and two drive-in bays. It will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, using geothermal heating and air conditioning units, passive solar panels and green construction practices.
Anderson-based krM Architecture will design the building.
“The building will have a few unique items not typical in a facility like this,” said krM principal Mike Montgomery. “We’re focusing on low energy consumption and moving toward LEED certification. Also, the facility’s high structural height makes it very flexible and able to accommodate a variety of manufacturers.”
Contact Aleasha Sandley: 640-4805, aleasha.sandley@heraldbulletin.com.
