Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan and Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers to their Power Breakfast, Tuesday, January 21. Close to 300 local business and community leaders were in attendance to hear the mayors talk about what’s taking place and what’s in the future for the city and county.
Mayor Bowers spoke first about what she said was a very important quality of life issue and that was parks and recreation in the county. Bowers mentioned improvements at Civitan Park and public meetings that are being held on plans for an additional 25 acres which are undeveloped in the park.
Improvements for Rotary Park are also in the works with American Disabilities Act (ADA) trails and a new pavilion with electricity and water and sewer facilities. The newest addition to the Montgomery County Park system is RichEllen Park on Highway 149 and work on it is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The mayor answered the question that many people have asked about the renovation of the RJ Corman railroad bridge across the Cumberland River on Riverside Drive. Bowers said that workers have been hired and are in training for the project which is expected to begin this year.
Renovations are in the works on both the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Station on Peachers Mill Road and on the campus of Cumberland Heights Elementary School. The mayor also said there are plans for a new EMS station on Highway 12. Working with the city, a new EMS and Clarksville Fire Rescue facility is planned in the Industrial Park which is in connection with the new Hankook Tire plant.
On the industrial side, Bowers talked about projects that either took place last year or are planned by local industries such as Hankook Tire involving investments over 1$ Billion and close to 2,000 new jobs for Clarksville-Montgomery County.
Following mayor Bowers, Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan then took the podium of the Chamber of Commerce breakfast and shared the City’s accomplishments over the past year and talk about planned projects for the future.
Mayor McMillan began her address by echoing what Mayor Bowers had said about the local $820 million investment of Hankook Tire with their plans for their first plant in the United States in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Park which is scheduled to begin production in 2015.
McMillan talked about the area along the Cumberland River and steps that are being taken with the Corps of Engineers to help control the erosion of the river bank around Riverside Drive. A performing arts center in downtown Clarksville was another project that McMillan spoke about. Such a center could be used for many events, activities and meetings for the community.
“I am confident that a multipurpose center would serve as a catalyst for other development in the downtown area,” McMillan said. The city has engaged an arts consulting group to do a feasibility study to find out if the development of such a center would succeed and the best way to go about funding a performing arts center.
Brenda Kelly, Executive Director of the Two Rivers Company (TRC), was recognized by McMillan and the mayor called the TRC the economic development arm of Clarksville in the downtown area. The mayor praised Kelly in her new position and her work with businesses and city resources to revitalize downtown.
McMillan praised the Clarksville Police Department (CPD) for being honored by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2013. The mayor talked about public safety saying the officers on the streets of Clarksville are better equipped than ever before.
A new multi million dollar state of the art communication system is scheduled to go into service next month and will increase the response time for both the police department and Clarksville Fire Rescue. McMillan also spoke briefly about the new Scenario House which offers training for Clarksville Police Officers and mentioned plans for a new police station in the north precinct near Minglewood Elementary School on Cunningham Lane.
Talking about Clarksville Fire Rescue, a new fire station is being proposed for the area near Exit 1 on I-24 and as part of the agreement with Hankook Tire a new fire station is also being planned for Exit 8. The fire station will be able to respond to emergencies in the industrial park as well as emergencies to residents who live in the area.
A new soccer complex is another project that is in the works for Clarksville with indoor soccer fields, an ice rink and tennis courts. The mayor talked about a number of partners, such as the Nashville Predators who she said were excited to be a part of the complex and invest in Clarksville.
Two sites have been proposed for the complex, near Rossview Road and Tiny Town Road. Concept drawings have been created by Lose and Associates. See the visualizations below:
The mayor hopes to build on the activity and fitness programs that are now in place and added it will become another economic driver for Clarksville. The mayor said the city hopes to begin the process for land acquisition for the proposed complex in the next budget cycle.