JOHN COFFELTEditor

The Coffee County Purchasing Committee met Sept. 6 to discuss an MDS Foods request for more property to facilitate a major expansion at the Joint Industrial Park on Highway 55.

The area in question overlaps five acres designated by the commission for a TCAT McMinnville satellite campus.

However, according to Purchasing Agent Stephanie Bush citing conversations she’s had with the Jeffery Holmes of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the state is developing plans to build an even larger site at the I-24 Interstate Industrial Park, also known as the megasite.

The original Coffee TCAT was estimated to be a 35,000 square foot facility, sitting on 12-15 acres. The new proposal could see a 75,000 square foot facility on a 20 acre campus.

The committee recommended a resolution to keep a “place holder” in place for Lot 30 of the Joint Industrial Park until the TCAT officially tells the county of the other site being chosen.

MDS Foods request for 2.42 acres was approved. The Coffee Count Industrial Board will oversee the final transition of the property.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.