Published: November 19, 2009 10:00 pm      

Jobs grow at former mine site

GRUNDY, Va. — A former mountaintop mining removal site in Southwest Virginia is growing again.

The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority awarded a $5.6 million grant Thursday to the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority for the continued development of the Southern Gap Regional Business Park located near Grundy.

“The Southern Gap Park is considered one of the largest new business parks in the state,” VCEDA Executive Director Jonathan Belcher said. “The Buchanan County IDA is interested in further developing the park by improving access roads and installing additional utilities within the park, including the development of a regional office park component.”

The industrial park houses Sykes Enterprises, an information technology support center that currently employs 250 workers, according to Susan Copeland, business development director and public relations coordinator for VCEDA.

Copeland said the park currently has 1,100 additional acres for development at the present time. Copeland said additional business growth is expected at the park.

The $5.6 million grant also will be used to pay toward the costs of road construction, sidewalks, utility installations and extensions at the park.

“Southern Gap is one example of the productive use of reclaimed surface mined land,” VCEDA Chairman Jay Rife said in a press release issued Thursday. “Southern Gap already has its first business occupant, which has 250 employees and growing. Jobs are being created in an area where those jobs might not otherwise exist were it not for the flat land that was created by the mining process.”

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com