WEST POINT — Royal Trucking is moving forward with plans to lease a portion of the former Artex International plant in West Point.
The trucking company plans to occupy about 25,000 square feet in the north end of the roughly 60,000-square-foot building for warehouse space, said Clay County Chancery Clerk Robbie Robinson. Clay County owns the building on East Industrial Access Road and the Board of Supervisors hopes to soon finalize a lease agreement with Royal Trucking. The county expects to receive $26,000 to $28,000 per year for the space, Robinson said.
Royal Trucking plans to use the former table linen manufacturing plant to store parts for Paccar, Clay County Board of Supervisors President Floyd McKee said. The storage area would be separated from the rest of the building and a security wall would be installed. Improvements also might be necessary to the building”s parking lot.
Royal Trucking could be ready to move in by the first of the year, but won”t need to occupy the space until April, said Royal Trucking owner Billy Milican, who spoke about the project with the Clay County Board of Supervisors Thursday.
For the county, Royal Trucking”s plan to occupy the former Artex building is a win-win situation, Robinson said. Not only will the move create a handful of jobs, but the building also will be put back on the tax rolls.
“(Royal Trucking) is a very viable local business and this will help their operations and add a couple of jobs,” Robinson said. “It also will be an additional (tax) revenue stream for the county on that building.”
The former Artex building has been abandoned for approximately two years, Robinson said. The county is working with a prospective start-up industry which could occupy the remainder of the building, Robinson said, but it is “too early” to release any additional information on that plan.
In other business, the Clay County Board of Supervisors Thursday approved the services of architecture firm Pryor and Morrow for renovations at the former Clay County Agricultural School in Pheba.
When the project is complete, the building will serve as a community center and meeting space. The project is estimated to cost $147,275, of which the county must contribute $29,455 in matching funds. The remainder is being paid for with a Mississippi Department of Archives and History grant.
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