MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee stopped in the Fayette County town of Rossville on Wednesday and brought with him a big check that will go toward a new water tower as the town looks to add 1,500 new homes ahead of the arrival of Ford’s Blue Oval City.
Rossville Tennessee Mayor Judy Waters now has 3 million reasons to smile.
“This is pretty big for us. This is the biggest thing that’s happened in Rossville in a lot of years,” Mayor Waters said.
Wednesday morning, Governor Bill Lee presented the town with a check for $3 million. The money is designated for a half-million-gallon water tower on the town’s west side.
It’s green farmland there now, but the water tower will serve a sprawling subdivision planned to sprout from a soybean field.
“That one area will be 700 homes as well as businesses, commercial growth, as well as restaurants and probably gas stations,” Mayor Waters said.
Waters said there are plans for another 800 new homes on the drawing board.
Rossville’s current population is just over 1,000.
Waters said it is part of her town’s plan to take full advantage of Ford’s Blue Oval City under construction just 33 miles from Rossville.
Blue Oval is expected to bring thousands of workers to live in communities surrounding its Haywood County facility. Rossville’s readiness factor and strategic growth plan along with the urging of local representatives convinced Governor Lee to provide the water tower funds.
“This is a perfect example of America at its finest, Rossville Tennessee and that’s why we should invest in it,” Gov. Bill Lee said.
Governor Lee told an excited crowd of more than two hundred Wednesday morning there’s a clear reason Ford decided to invest in Tennessee and communities need to be ready to provide necessary services.
“What we’re seeing is the need to invest in infrastructure, roads, bridges, water, sewer, and that’s what we’re doing to make sure we can get ahead of the growth,” Gov. Lee said.
Blue Oval City is expected to be operational by 2025.