Area counties considering a resolution to dissolve an organization originally tasked with developing a mega industrial site south of Fredonia.
Crittenden County Fiscal Court last week approved a resolution to dissolve the Pennyrile Westpark Industrial Development Authority, formally ending its participation in a multi-county effort to market a 500-acre industrial megasite near Fredonia. Other counties in the coalition are expected to consider similar action to withdraw and dissolve the authority, including Lyon, Caldwell, Trigg and Livingston.
The resolution states the authority “currently has no assets and is no longer deemed a viable option for the purpose of promoting economic development.”
The property for the proposed megasite was owned by the State of Kentucky, which had offered it to the authority for development. When the concept was introduced almost five years ago, it would have been one of only two megasites in the state available for industrial development.
Located near the West Kentucky Correctional Complex along the Lyon-Caldwell county line, the large tract was ultimately determined to be unsuitable for the intended purpose.
The authority was established to oversee development and marketing of the site. The Tennessee Valley Authority had expressed interest in assisting with the project, and there was cautious optimism it could become a key component in attracting large-scale industrial development to the region. The planned U.S. 641 relocation also was viewed as a potential transportation advantage for the site.
Updated Federal Emergency Management Agency maps showed a significant portion of the property in the floodplain. To confirm those concerns, a state grant was secured in 2022 to fund a comprehensive engineering study. The results of that study concluded the site was not feasible for development as an industrial megasite.
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