A local construction company and Berea town officials recently came together to celebrate a project that is expected to create more jobs in the Berea Industrial Park, according to Berea town officials.
A press release issued today indicates that last Monday, Menelaus Berea Spec LLC, a subsidiary of MP Kelly Design and Construction in Richmond, broke ground on a 50,000 square foot spec or “spec” building that will be located on Farristown Industrial Drive into the Berea Industrial Park.
The concept of a “spec” building is that investors construct a facility which can then be leased to a prospective employer. Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley said the fact that MP Kelly chose Berea to invest $3 million in the 10.8-acre site bodes well for the future of Berea’s industrial jobs.
The initial spec building could house a small or medium-sized business with 30 to 60 employees, but Fraley noted the facility will be built in such a way that it can be expanded to 90,000 square feet, giving potential customers the opportunity to grow. to meet their needs. Although the building is expected to be completed within the year, MP Kelly was already receiving inquiries from employers before the building was even opened, Fraley said. To kick off the project, the city hosted a reception on Monday for Mike and Jack Kelly of MP Kelly Design and Construction, introducing them to members of the Berea Industrial Development Authority and the Berea City Council Economic Development Committee. Fraley said the small reception was the town’s way of letting the Kellys know they were appreciated for helping to create new job opportunities in Berea.
“They are Madison Countians, and we wanted to let them know that we welcome them here as part of our family in Berea,” Fraley said of Mike and Jack Kelly. “We also wanted them to know how much we appreciate their investment because this project is very important.” Fraley added that the project will also contribute to the county’s economy since local contractors will be employed for construction.
The city is currently working to create more jobs in Berea by launching another project, requesting up to $500,000 in Commonwealth funding to create a build-ready site on the 87-acre industrial park expansion. Fraley said that alongside recent additions of some 400 jobs to the industrial park by AppHarvest, Hitachi Astemo and Hyster-Yale, continued work on the industrial park is part of a long-term strategy to both create employment opportunities in Berea and to ensure that the city has the necessary revenue to continue providing a high level of service to citizens.
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