Little Canoe Creek certified as Advantage Megasite

GADSDEN, Ala. (WBMA) — The effort to attract a large employer to Etowah County continued Tuesday when the Etowah County Commission announced the Little Creek Canoe site was certified as an Advantage Megasite.

The announcement is the end of a decade-long effort to purchase the 1,100 acre property, survey the land , gather soil samples and lay down the power and internet lines that make it as ready as possible for a large business to purchase the site.

"This is a great day but it's not over yet," said county commissioner Larry Payne.

Now the wait begins. The site, located off I-59 in the southwest corner of the county, will become one of a handful of megasites the State of Alabama will be able to offer as potential landing spots for large employers.

Leaders in Etowah County watched earlier this year as Huntsville announced a Toyota-Mazda plant would be built at a similar megasite. While the initial reaction was perhaps disappointment, county commissioner Jeff Overstreet saw it as an opportunity.

"We weren't ready yet to do that but it equally was very encouraging to us because we realized at that point if we get something like that ready than we've got the potential to attract something like that here."

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