Tyler Economic Development Council announces 412-acre purchase for business development

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The Tyler Economic Development Council has announced the purchase of 412 acres in the northern part of Smith County will be used as an industrial park.

Tyler Interstate Commerce Park will be on I-20. It will be used to develop sites for prospective businesses.

TEDC President Scott Martinez said Smith County commissioners have voted to use $4.5 million in ARPA funding to finance a road from State Highway 155 through the park.

“Having that real estate product that we’re seeing a need for is going to be a game changer for us for the economic development arena,” Martinez said.

Martinez said the location will provide easy access for companies to get on the highway.

“Companies will be able to get their product and their employees in and out of the facility pretty quickly,” Martinez said.

This park is in line with the mission of TEDC by stimulating job growth and retention.

“This will give us a location for job creators to actually locate in our community and help our residents have employment,” Martinez said.

The space allows for at least six projects.

“Even before we completed the purchase of this product, we’re already receiving extremely strong interest of this property,” Martinez said.

Martinez says this property will make Tyler competitive.

“Kilgore has a very nice industrial park, a synergy park, but it’s two to three miles from the interstate,” Martinez said. “Longview has product but again it’s not directly interstate which gives this, from my perspective, a competitive advantage.”

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