The Newton County Chamber of Commerce Office of Economic Development recently announced that the Historic Heartland mega site received Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certification. Considered one of the best mega sites available in the southeast United States, this is big news for Newton County. The 1,100 acre property, located between Interstate 20 and Georgia Hwy 11, is now designated as an available large acreage tract of land for accelerated industrial development.

GRAD certification is a major step for getting noticed by companies looking to add facilities. There are only 51 GRAD industrial sites in Georgia and only 5 GRAD mega sites.

With the GRAD certification, Newton County has demonstrated a clear commitment to development because they have completed advanced due diligence with the site investigation, research and documentation.

To qualify for GRAD certification, the site has to be a minimum of 50 acres; has documented utility services; has been cleared for zoning, planning and land use control designations; has road and rail accessibility; has verification of ownership; and has qualified for due diligence with such issues resolved regarding wetlands and stream delineation, environmental assessments, cultural resources and archeological assessments, geological and geotechnical surveys, and boundary and topographic surveys.

The opportunity for economic growth is enormous. Approximately 18 months ago, Jaguar Land Rover had looked at the Historic Heartland mega site as a potential location for a new factory but it was too soon. The due diligence wasn’t completed yet and that opportunity was missed. Now with the GRAD certification, it is only a matter of time.

Logistics, global access, quality of life and a talented workforce are major factors that give this site a competitive edge. The site is ideally situated along the CSX railroad in a location between Savannah and Atlanta. It is located directly off of I-20 between Atlanta and Augusta. The Port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are in easy reach and 2.5 million people are within a 45 minute drive away. Additionally, manufacturers will like the proximity to Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta, where there is access to university research centers and strong labor forces.