A new industrial park is coming to Alabama and leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in Macon County.

The Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park is slated to bring more business to the Tuskegee area and is expected to have a positive financial impact.

The seven to 10 year, three stage plan for REAL Park could see it expand to over 5 million square feet of space with as many as 13 buildings.

Gov. Kay Ivey’s office said the project is expected to bring $386 million in new economic capital investment and more than 1,000 new jobs. Construction is slated to be completed in 2023.

“I’m tremendously excited by the transformational potential that the Regional East Alabama Logistics Park represents for rural Macon County, and the elevating opportunities it can create for the hard-working citizens of the Tuskegee area,” said Ivey. “This project is a game-changer, and I look forward to seeing the impact the park will have as it grows over the years.”

Once the park is created, there will be Class A warehouses and manufacturing buildings available for lease within a 40-mile radius.

“We think REAL Park can become a powerful economic engine for the larger east Alabama region, sparking large-scale job creation and generating broad opportunities that lift communities throughout the area,” said Justin Patwin, managing director at Farpoint Construction Consulting. “At the same time, the park will become a hub for global commerce, building on the commercial gateway that is the Port of Mobile to benefit the entire state of Alabama.”

The REAL Park project stems from a partnership between Farpoint and the local Bassett family. It is supported by the Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) and Opportunity Alabama, a nonprofit initiative that seeks to connect investors with available assets in the state’s Opportunity Zones.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.

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