Cookeville Hires Billings As New Economic Development & Grant Coordinator
Cookeville’s Community Development Department has a new Economic Development and Grants Coordinator in Matt Billings. Community Development Director Jon Ward said Billings takes over an expanded position following the retirement of Melinda Keifer in 2022. Ward said Keifer has been retained as a part-time consultant to help smooth the transition, but Billings is getting up […]
Retailers, Restaurants Still Courting Cookeville; Lack Of Built Space Concern
Retailers and restaurants continue to show interest in coming to Cookeville, though space is starting to become a concern. Cookeville Economic Development Consultant Melinda Keifer said the community is seeing more interest from restaurants and smaller niche retailers because “big box” retailers are struggling. Keifer said competition with the internet has changed that part of […]
Cookeville Working To Fill Expanded Economic Development Role
Cookeville officials looking at resumes to fill the role of Economic Development and Grant Coordinator. Melinda Keifer continues to assist the city in a part-time role after her 2022 retirement. Community Development Director Jon Ward said the role has been changed to work both on economic opportunities for business and industry as well as grants. […]
Work Remains To Better Market Cookeville’s Lemon Farris Industrial Site
Cookeville continues to market the Lemon Farris site off Highway 111 to prospective industries, but Community Development Director Jon Ward said more work will be done in the months to come. “The grant is still open,” Ward said. “We have not completed the work yet, the due diligence work on the site, but we hope […]
Cookeville’s Melinda Keifer To Retire, Move To Part-Time Basis
Cookeville’s Economic and Community Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer will retire at the end of April. Keifer began at the department in 2010 after an extensive career with the State Department of Economic and Community Development. City Manager James Mills said that Keifer will continue on a part-time basis assisting in Cookeville’s economic development needs works […]
Cookeville Employer Hoping To Expand To New Highlands Business Park Location
An existing Cookeville employer could potentially expand to a new location in the Highlands Business Park. Economic and Community Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said that the expansion will bring 45 new jobs and a $16 million capital investment. “We’re super excited to see that,” Keifer said. “You know as companies grow they can locate anywhere […]
Cookeville Named A State Grant Recipient For Site Development
The City of Cookeville will receive at least $25,000 in state grant money to complete due diligence studies at the Lemon-Farris Industrial Site off Highway 111. The city is one of 12 recipients of state grant monies that total more than $8 million for site development. Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said that while it’s […]
Retail Strategies Service Helps Municipalities Invest In Future
When it comes to national retailers and commercial services, Cookeville Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said that story-telling plays a key role in attracting them. Keifer said that’s why a service like Retail Strategies is a huge benefit to the city, because it tells the city’s story using data-driven points. “And we’ve all driven through […]
Cookeville Applying For Grant For Lemon Farris Industrial Park Pre-Development Work
Cookeville is applying for a site development grant to clean up the Lemon Farris Industrial Park for development. Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said that the area off of Highway 111 South was probably initially developed sometime in the 70s or 80s, and has since become overgrown. To make the set more marketable to developers, […]
Move-In Ready Business Demand On The Rise
Businesses remain interested in development and growth, but since COVID their wants have changed. Acreage and building sites are out. Existing buildings with room to expand are in. That is according to Cookeville Economic Developer Coordinator Melinda Keifer. “The good news is we have no vacant existing manufacturing places,” Keifer said. “The bad news is […]
