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AgriCenter becomes official
By David Lusk
The Weekly Post
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Published October 23, 2008
RAINSVILLE–The long-discussed and sought-after AgriCenter is finally an official project, thanks to the hard work of local leaders and a $4 million dollar loan from the USDA. The regional telecommunications network will get a $24 million dollar upgrade from the same source as well.
The good news was announced on Friday in the parking lot of the Rainsville Church Pew Company, where Congressman Robert Aderholt and Alabama USDA Director Steve Pelham jointly presented a check to the Rainsville Public Building Authority. The project was represented by Public Building Authority board chairman Carey Baker and Agricenter Board members Buddy Boykin, Brian Thomas and Larry Traylor.
"This is an investment in a new Agriculture and Community Center that will be built here in Rainsville," said Pelham. "We have done a number of these around the state, and I'm here to tell you that they are a key component to improving the quality of life. So it is indeed my honor to present to you this check for $4,093,000 dollars to the Public Building Authority of the City of Rainsville."
The Agricenter is to be built near the current Field of Dreams Sports Complex in Rainsville, on Highway 75 north. The facility will be designed specifically for agricultural concerns. According to the USDA's press release, "These funds will be used to construct an ag center in Rainsville consisting of a climate-controlled arena, meeting facility, livestock stables, recreational vehicle parking and picnic area. The facility will be used for livestock shows and rodeos, agricultural and community meetings, family gatherings and concerts." The site will save money on heating and cooling with a geothermal system, and is expected to help stimulate the regional economy indirectly by drawing revenue to area gas stations, hotel operators, restaurants and more.
The $4 million plus dollars comes to the city in the form of a loan from the USDA, to be paid over 40 years at 4.5 percent interest. Baker, who, along with other board members and community leaders, had worked toward this project's reality for several years, thanked Pelham and Aderholt for the loan.
"Thank you very much. Let me take an opportunity just to thank Congressman Aderholt and Mr. Pelham for their efforts that they've put into this. There's no way that we could have done this without their help," explained Baker. "I thank the board members, and thank the city councilmen, for their support. They worked long, hard and tirelessly to see this day. I thank them very much. They deserve the praise for this along with Congressman Aderholt and Mr. Pelham. It's a great day for northeast Alabama. It's not just an Alabama project, or a Rainsville project; it's a northeast Alabama project. We're going to see an economic impact in Fort Payne, Scottsboro, Sylvania, Fyffe, Rainsville, from this project. We certainly do appreciate it; thank you very much."
Agricenter board member Brian Thomas stated that the project now had a green light with the receipt of the check and that bids for construction would be put out by the board within the month. In addition, the Agricenter will bring some jobs to the area.
"Once we get the bids out, the construction part of it is going to create jobs. Once we get it built, there will probably be two, maybe three to start with," Thomas explained that the center would require a manager and someone to maintain the facility. "We're looking on down the road as far as jobs, 8 or 10 folks, maybe in the course of the next three or four years. The biggest impact that it's going to have is of course what comes into town. Revenue, from all the agribusiness type people. Everybody who needs that type of facility."
Thomas said that these types of shows usually last more than one day, requiring the participants to purchase food, gas, and lodging. "It should impact all of the grocery stores, all the hotels, Fort Payne, Scottsboro, Rainsville; gas stations, and more," said Thomas. "That's why it's a northeast Alabama project, not just a Rainsville project. Rainsville just happened to be the perfect demographic spot. We expect to pull people from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi. From everything we looked at, there's no reason it can't be successful."
Thomas stated that the majority of the ground work at the site has already been done, and that it only needed to be dressed up. He cited the settling of chert as the primary reason. However, Thomas stated that the money received on Friday would go toward the construction of the arena and the stables.
"With the money we got today, we should be able to build it with the stables and get it up and running. The community center will be the next phase. We've got to have a campground," said Thomas. "We hope to have ads in the newspaper within the next thirty days looking for bids."
In addition to the Agricenter, Pelham also presented a multi-million dollar check to Farmer's Telecommunications Cooperative. Pelham stated that during this fiscal year, the USDA had invested over a half a billion dollars in Alabama. The reason, according to the director, is the changing landscape of rural America.
"Rural America is not what it was 10 to 20 and 30 years ago. It's different; the landscape is different; and what it takes to live and raise a family and own a home in rural America is much different than it was 20 and 30 years ago," Pelham said. "These two investments represent that very well and speak to it."
Fred Johnson, General Manager and CEO of Farmer's Telecommunications Cooperative, accepted a check for almost $24 million dollars to upgrade regional telecommunications. According to Pelham, this represented the third of three loans issued by the USDA for broadband deployment.
"When you look at what we're doing here today, it's an investment with the Farmer's Telecommunications Cooperative for right at $24 million dollars. We did one of these, Congressman...about two weeks ago for $50 million dollars for broadband deployment. Earlier this year, as an agency, we made and obligated what I think to be the largest public/private loan ever made to an entity for broadband deployment to open range, $270 million dollar loan, of which about $26 million will be invested here in Alabama. So you take those three and combine them and we're talking about a total investment in telecommunications and infrastructure of a little more than $100 million dollars here in just this fiscal year. That will have a dramatic improvement on the quality of life and economic opportunities here in this area."
Congressman Aderholt added that the technology that would come from the investment would put the region on a par with New York City in a matter of 36 months. Johnson stated that it would take that long to bring in the majority of his customers.
"Within 36 months, 92 percent of our customers and our members will have access to the best communications infrastructure, whatever that means, that you can find anywhere in the United States of America," said Johnson, "and we'll get to that 8 percent shortly thereafter. But that's quite an accomplishment, and it's made possible in this case by the U.S. government helping us to help ourselves."
Johnson stated that the investment might possibly create some jobs at the cooperative if the demand for its services is as good as he hopes. However, Johnson stated that the real point in job creation was infrastructure.
"It very clearly will put in place any level of telecommunications that would be necessary for any of our major areas in DeKalb and Jackson County from a job creation standpoint. I am not aware of any area, in our service area, that would be a target for jobs - new businesses, new factories - that won't have access to this new technology," Johnson explained. "So we have made it a special point to cover that, certainly hoping that it will entice businesses to the area and that certainly will create jobs. That's the real significant point about job creation."
Johnson added that the cooperative would work with economic development authorities in DeKalb and Jackson counties, and that they would offer the people and materials necessary to help with presentations to potential companies looking to relocate to this region.
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