An industrial business prospect interested in purchasing land in the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park prompted a closed-door meeting of the Greenwood City Council Friday and has city officials speaking in glowing terms.
“It’s going to be good,” said Ward 6’s David Jordan after the 25-minute meeting.
The meeting included Bill Crump, chairman of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation and Angela Curry, the foundation’s executive director.
“Due to the nature of this, we’re not going to ask for any specific voting today. We’re going to use this as an informational session. We’re not ready to announce this just yet,” Crump said Friday.
Greenwood City Council President Ronnie Stevenson said Saturday snagging the industrial prospect was very likely.
“I feel real good about this one. This is about as close to a done deal as we can get. Everybody has made commitments on this. It’s just a question of crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s,” Stevenson said.
“It was all good. The future looks bright.”
Stevenson said over time the company could provide more than 100 jobs.
Ward 4’s Charles McCoy was optimistic.
“I feel real good. It is going to be a real good thing for the city of Greenwood,” he said.
McCoy said more information on the industrial prospect will be made available at the council’s next scheduled meeting on Feb. 7, adding that the deal is “about on go.”
Curry, speaking after Friday’s meeting concluded, said a public announcement about the prospect could come as soon as this week.
“We have to be very cautious,” Mayor Carolyn McAdams said.
She said the key to recruiting businesses requires always being ready.
“If we keep ourselves attractive and keep our downtown vibrant and our streets clean, that helps,” she said.
In fact, McAdams said, the company interested in purchasing land in the industrial park had actually come through Greenwood before of contacting economic development officials for the first time.
“First impressions are what make it. That’s why we need to be ready at all times,” McAdams said.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
