New Growth And Lower Utilities, Osceola Mayor Says

The city of Osceola has seen the start of a renaissance in the past couple of years, with the future looking optimistic, the town’s mayor said Tuesday.

Osceola Mayor Dickie Kennemore said the decisions by several major companies to locate in his town have helped attract interest among people and companies alike.

A $1.3 billion steel mill, Big River Steel, is currently under construction south of town, while several other companies have announced plans to build.

At least 2,000 people are expected to be hired for construction jobs, while the mill will employ over 500 people, officials have said.

A steel firm, the Machine Works, announced plans last October to build an advanced flat rolled toll processing center near the Big River Steel mill, adding at least 45 jobs while Mid-River Terminal is working to build a river docking facility south of Osceola.

Environmental company Blue Oak Arkansas is expected to start hiring in July, Kennemore said. The company will recycle gold and silver from circuit boards, cell phones and other equipment, officials said.

The town has faced population losses in the past 20 or so years, but Kennemore said the overall situation has given people in the town new food for thought.

“There is an old saying that ‘to know where you’re at, you have to know where you have been,’” Kennemore said. “Right now, we are in excellent shape, not all due to Big River Steel.”

The increased activity has also helped the city’s bottom line. Due to budget cuts and other work, the city’s budget has gone from a several million dollar deficit in 2009 to a $1.6 million surplus at the end of 2014, Kennemore said.

“In December (2014), our sales tax was up $86,000 compared to the same time in 2013,” Kennemore said.

NEW AIRPORT IN MIX
City officials began working last summer on a plan to either expand the city’s airport or build a new one.

Kennemore said the city has worked on a feasibility study on the issue, with the consensus being to build a new one.

The current airport, on Arkansas 140, was built in the early 1960s with a 3,800-foot runway. The runway was extended to 4,400 feet, but FAA restrictions helped to push for the new airport.

Kennemore said any further expansion would require safety areas to be built to allow for larger planes to land. However, the land surrounding the airport is filled with commercial and residential buildings as well as an Entergy Arkansas line.

The plan to build the airport could take as long as four years to be completed, with state aeronautics officials already on board, Kennemore said.

The new airport idea has also received support from local business leaders, who are seeking to have easier access to their facilities, Kennemore noted.

CONSTRUCTION/UTILITIES
Kennemore, who is also in the construction business, said the growth has extended to real estate.

“We have gone from 40% vacancy to being near full,” Kennemore said of the growth. A Walmart Supercenter opened last year on Arkansas 140, while a Mexican restaurant down the road draws customers off I-55.

Another opportunity for growth has taken an interesting turn.

Kennemore said he has heard from about a half-dozen former residents who are wanting to move back to Mississippi County.

“They felt like they wanted a chance to see the world, but now want to move back,” Kennemore said.

A decision made last year involving utility rates has also paid dividends.

Kennemore said the city-owned Osceola Light and Power signed an agreement with the Mississippi County Electric Cooperative to provide electricity.

The new agreement has lowered rates by nearly 12%, with a 20% reduction possible in the future. Kennemore said changes in state energy law helped Osceola to negotiate a better deal.