Study: TVA reservation should host skilled jobs

MUSCLE SHOALS - The TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation should be redeveloped as "a research and development employment campus that can accommodate a significant level of highly skilled employment," according to a months-long study released this week.

Envisioned by Atlanta consultant Lord Aeck Sargent Architecture, the campus would focus on innovation within the energy industry - a reflection of the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a seven-state quasi-federal agency that formed during the Depression.

The 1,340-acre reservation became the birthplace of TVA, the nation's largest public power provider, after a controversial federal nitrate plant on the site switched from bomb to fertilizer production in the early 20th century.

The site, former headquarters for TVA, is divided into two sections by Reservation Road, with the south side open to becoming privatized and being of interest for industrial, commercial and residential uses.

The 808-page study, started in January and completed in July, also concluded that sustainability should be a focus on the site.

"Green development of the site can help combat lingering negative perceptions of the Reservation due to known contamination," the study states.

The study outlined three separate approaches officials could take with the property under private ownership.

The approaches depend on whether officials believe the Shoals economy will remain static, the railcar factory will spur direct and indirect employment or the reservation will be used as a catalyst for economic growth.

All plans envision mixed use that combines commercial, industrial, retail and residential within the space.

Under the model for a high-tech energy core focused on white collar jobs, the study predicted that through 2030 there would be job growth of 993 new workers annually.

The model outlines 3.2 million square feet of space, divided into 70-80 percent office space, 20-30 percent industrial space along with 325,000 square feet of retail space and 1,100 to 1,200 residential units.

The TVA-commissioned study also catalogued the 45 buildings within the site, ranging from the functioning Environmental Research Center building and greenhouse to the deteriorated water plants and boiler house.

The majority of the buildings, 31 out of 45, the consultants classified as "fair," which means they would require 25 percent replacement or 50 percent repair.

The majority of the buildings were built during the early 20th century, when the Nitrate Plant No. 2 formed the basis of TVA, and during the mid-20th century at the height of TVA's research and development into fertilizers.

Locally, officials are anticipating one of the largest land privatizations the Shoals has seen. The Northwest Alabama Cooperative District, a cross-county and multi-city entity, was formed to regulate use and develop a broad plan for the property.

The district consists of all mayors from the Quad-Cities, plus county commissioners Dewey Mitchell and Rex Burleson and attorney Jimmy Houston. Muscle Shoals Mayor David Bradford will act as chairman.

The group and TVA officials are still in the early phases of negotiating any privatization that might occur.

"It's a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' to be handled; as far as we've been told, it will be conveyed to the entities at fair market price," Burleson said. He said the group is expected to meet late this year or early in 2010.

The TVA land, which combines wooded terrain with post-industrial wasteland, has been of great interest to business developers for its proximity to high-traffic areas on Hatch Boulevard and Wilson Dam Road. The property of interest also borders Reservation Road to the north and Second Avenue to the south.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.