While we are now waiting on Chancellor Fansler to rule on the remedy and the fix for the Jury decision on the Sunshine lawsuit. The vultures are circling and calling for the storm water ordinance and the Midway Business Park to be null and voided. The only problem with that is the Midway Business Park was approved by the County Commission prior to January 31, 2007.
Future generations need the Midway Business Park in order to have good quality jobs. The Midway Business Park is here to stay.
Brian, why are you such a cheerleader for Midway Business Park – how are you going to benefit? This is going to be a DRAIN on the taxpayers – the kind of businesses that used to go into business parks aren’t there anymore. Even their brand new park at Hardin Valley does not have any new businesses going into it – only EXISTING Knoxville businesses are interested. If they had a big business that was interested in Midway, it might be different. But they are only hoping. It will be the same as their previous business parks, NONE of which have been an overwhelming success. Not to mention Forks of the River, which loses businesses daily as these kinds of companies (manufacturing) move overseas. Can’t figure out why you don’t see this for what it is – a land grab and a chance to use govt money to provide infrastructure so homebuilders can develop East Knox County.
Anonymous, (that is real gutsy name, NOT!)
I am a fan for real economic development for Knox County. My involvement in advocating for responsible economic development date back to the 1980’s. I even put my name on the ballot in 1990 in East Knox County for Commissioner and advocated then for real economic development. I was 23 at the time and Joe was only re-elected with 112 votes. I came close to representing the area in which I was raised. I am thankful for those 112 votes to re-elect Joe because in 1992, I moved my family to Southwest Knox County and we have loved it down here ever since.
Midway will provide the real jobs that Knox County needs for the future generations.
Anything that Phil Ballard opposes has to be good for everyone. Thank God they passed it. If you don’t like it get rid of your representative who was unable to stop it.
If you are for REAL economic development, then you must know that Midway is not it – can’t understand why you think it would be. You didn’t respond to any of my points – that there has been no REAL economic development in any of the previous business parks, so why do you think Midway is any different? There has only been ONE or TWO businesses from outside of Knoxville locate in the new business parks. The only REAL economic development to come out of the business parks has been the construction contracts to build the roads and infrastructure!
Why can’t we take the money that we are pouring into Midway and start a venture capital fund to invest in local businesses to help them grow instead of trying to lure existing businesses from somewhere else? That would be REAL economic development!
Midway is the best and most logical location. It sits between the Sevierville Exit 407 and Knox County’s Exit 398. It lies on I-40 and is half way between I-81 and I-75 providing close proxmity to nearly half of the eastern board of the United States.
Anonymous, tell me that you are the only person in east knox county that doesn’t drive to west knoxville to work and then commute to east knox county longing for your “country” way of life.
Anonymous, BTW (that means by the way)
Why do YOU think I support Midway? When I have attended the meetings at Carter and Thorngrove certain people jump up and say who here is a developer? and then they glare at me. I just stare back.
For the record, I am not a developer. I have been accused of having developer friends. But that’s not a crime.
Heck, I have alot of friends in many different professions.
I am trying to engage you in a reasonable conversation and not listen to those who say it is impossible to reason with you because you just change the subject and won’t answer questions or respond to points. Please prove them wrong and respond to the points I am making, as I am giving you the courtesy of responding to your points, not just ignoring them and making up new statements.
You say that “Midway is the best location” but don’t respond to my points that THERE ARE NO NEW BUSINESSES LOCATING IN OUR EXISTING BUSINESS PARKS AND NO PROSPECTS FOR THIS ONE.
For the record, I don’t know anyone who commutes to West Knoxville for work, myself included. I work in downtown Knoxville. Most of the people in Thorn Grove are farmers or teachers.
The only reason I can think of you would support the Midway project is that you are either misinformed as to the facts or are benefitting financially in some way. Do you have some property for sale or an interest in a construction firm? If you are supporting the Midway project because you think it would bring jobs, what kind of company are you expecting to go there, and don’t you think if they had any prospects, they would have announced them by now?
well, i have responded to you in a reasonable conversation on midway. you do not like my answers. I am not going to attempt to change your mind, because it can’t be changed. You are attempting to change my mind and I will not be changed as well.
Let me respond to your comment about the other parks. Go back to the East Knox Area News when the Eastbridge Industrial Park was first proposed and built. I was a columnist for the East Knox Area News at the time. I wrote many articles about how the Eastbridge park would NOT be a functioning park due to its lack of road infrastructure, lack of rail transportation, lack of legitimate river access. I predicted Eastbridge to be a failure. It is no surprise.
For the record, there is a lady who’s home borders the Midway park.The park is basically in her backyard, that commutes less than 5 miles from my home to work everyday. BTW, most folks in the midway business park area are not farmers, they are retired and looking to sell their large tracts of property and move into condos and townhouses.
As for what others (like the tabloid sisters) say about me. You can believe them if you wish. However, they have never known the truth and when you find the truth, you will be set free.
Well, I am not misinformed as I was a reporter/columnist for the East Knox Area News and wrote extensively about the Eastbridge Industrial Park.
I am not benefitting financially that I am aware of at this point. However, if you want to cut me in then we could discuss. I do not have any property for sale in the area close to MIdway. I do not have any controlling interest in a construction firm.
I believe the type of companies that would be attracted to Midway would be Cable television networks, internet comapnies, software developers.
The Industrial Development Board can not disclose the prospects for fear of competing industrial recruiters will come and snag them away. But then again, you would like that. Wouldn’t you?
You said, “I believe the type of companies that would be attracted to Midway would be Cable television networks, internet comapnies, software developers.”
There is absolutely no reason for a cable television network, internet company or software developers to go to this business park. There is barely ANY INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE at Midway Road. Hardin Valley Business Park would make much more sense because it is located near the area where the EXISTING FIBER OPTIC CABLE that is the internet backbone that runs between the Univ. of TN and ORNL is located and provides the internet backbone for MOST OF KNOXVILLE. That is supposed to be what Pellissippi Parkwary was designed for – for cable companies, internet companies and software development companies to locate. That is, if there were any companies like that looking to relocate here, WHICH THERE ISN’T!
That hasn’t happened because the locals haven’t realized what others have discovered – it is very difficult and costly to lure new businesses to relocate. Instead it makes much more sense to invest in locally grown companies and help them startup or help them grow. Something that won’t happen as long as we invest our economic development money in making business parks that don’t work. Those only benefit local construction companies, road builders, land speculators and developers.
Why do you think I would like it if some other recruiters stole away the Ind. Dev. Board’s prospects? I am a taxpayer too, and would like to see them succeed – but I can read and know there aren’t many prospects out there – cities with more to offer than us are competing daily to see how much they can give away to lure a new business.
Statistics show that the cities who lure businesses away often end up losing money – by the time they give them cheap land, free infrastructure and tax breaks, the jobs don’t make up the difference.
Most companies bring employees with them for the good paying jobs, and when the tax credits are used up, they move the company to the next place that offers a better deal. Do a little research before you just repeat what you’ve been told.
There has never been a vote approving the Midway Industrial Park. There was a vote approving the zoning and sector plan amendments needed to build an industrial park. That happened before the 2006 elections. There was a vote approving $7.5M to extend a sewer line that could serve an industrial park. I don’t recall whether that was before or after the appointments. There has never been a vote regarding funding or constructing an industrial park, and it’s possible the park is just a ruse to get the sewer line built.
Sour Persimmon, the reason there has been nothing for a Midway Industrial Park as you say. There is no such thing as a Midway Industrial Park.
There is property on Thorngrove Pike near Exit 402 off of I-40 for a MIDWAY BUSINESS PARK!
Anonymous,
Obviously, you do not realize how easy and how quick internet infrastructure can be placed at Midway. It can be put in place quicker than the IDB and KUB can build the sewer treatment plant.
Again, you are a classic NIMBY. NOT IN MY Back Yard.
There are at more than 50 families in the Carter, Thorngrove, Tuckahoe area that have called supporting this park.
I am not going to convince you and you are not going to convince me. So that is that. If you want to continue this dialogue, give us your name and then we can keep the conversation going. This isn’t the local liberal blog or gossip and lies in a tabloid newspaper.
Whatever name you care to use for it, the park has not been allocated a single dollar for design nor construction, merely rezonings and money for a sewer line to serve it.
You mis speak or mis type in this case and you try and put it off on me. Right! A little maturity on your part could make your case stronger, but instead it is weaker, to bad for you.