Jefferson County (Tenn.) industrial megasite scrapped

DANDRIDGE, Tenn. - A Jefferson County group says it has abandoned a plan to create an industrial megasite near the interchange of interstate highways 40 and 81.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the Jefferson County Economic Development Oversight Committee announced Thursday it had scrapped the idea.

Group chairman and mayor of Dandridge George Gantte stated in a news release that the idea was viable, but getting all 1,800 acres without using eminent domain would be a long and uncertain process.

The effort began about three months ago, but ran into citizen opposition and suffered a blow last month when Jefferson County Mayor Alan Palmieri said it needed to back to the drawing board.

Officials had hoped to create a site to attract a major manufacturer to Jefferson County.

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