Kingsport BMA agrees to help fund economic development project on Airport Parkway

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) approved a resolution Tuesday to help purchase a parcel of land on Airport Parkway to be developed for economic growth.

According to an agenda action form , the resolution authorized payment to NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership for its acquisition of forty acres on Airport Parkway, which is intended for economic development. Agenda documents show Kingsport is paying $216,070, 31% of the total purchase price.

Other localities sharing the price of the property to be developed include the rest of NETWORKS’ partners: Bristol, Bluff City and Sullivan County.

Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt said the Kingsport Economic Development Board purchased the land in the 80s, and now has decided to sell it to NETWORKS to give it a better purpose.

He told News Channel 11 that NETWORKS intends to develop the property for commercial or industrial use.

“Over time, we began to see that, really, properties were just sitting idle,” he said. “And so [the] decision was made to put these properties on the market, many of which sold. One of which is what we discussed tonight, and that is a piece of property that was successfully bid on by NETWORKS, and their intention is to take the property and move it into some sort of commercial or industrial use.”

The resolution to help fund the economic development project was approved unanimously, and agenda documents noted this project has been planned since April 2021, aiming to stimulate economic growth in the area of Airport Parkway.

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