Officials in Dothan have formally kicked off a project to build a $4 million, 100,000-sq.-ft. speculative building in the Sam Houston Industrial Park to better attract industrial prospects to the southeast Alabama city.

The structure will be on a 41-acre site at 102 Austin Court (Lot 3) in the platted industrial park, according to Made in Alabama. Construction is scheduled for completion later this fall.

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said having a building available for prospects is needed to continue to spur Dothan's economic development. He cited studies that show 85 percent of companies with projects prefer existing buildings over greenfield development.

"The availability of quality-sized buildings in Alabama needs to be expanded, so seeing the Dothan-Houston County area spearhead this new addition to the state's building inventory is a big enhancement to continue Alabama's growth in the industrial development arena," Canfield said in a news statement on the Department of Commerce's Made in Alabama website.

"We commend all the state, county, city and business leaders working together to put this facility in place to create future opportunities for the Wiregrass region."

The project was officially launched the second week of June with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Dothan city officials, the Houston County Commission, the city's Industrial Development Board, and the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce/Grow Dothan, and state leaders, among others.

Industrial Structure Can Be Tailored for Any Company

The spec building will be a finished shell building with only a few elements needed for completion, including flooring, electrical, a sprinkler system and dock/drive-in doors, based on the customized needs of the prospect.

"This project continues to showcase the partnerships we have in our area from the local to state levels, to work collaboratively to enhance economic development progress for our area, and continue to create employment opportunities for our residents," Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver explained in a joint statement.

The new structure is designed to be expandable enough to add another 100,000 sq. ft. of space, supported with 25-ft.-by-50-ft. column spacing and a 32-ft. eave height, according to the Made in Alabama announcement.

It will be served by Dothan Utilities (Alabama Municipal Electric Authority), with water, sewer and electrical service. Natural gas will be provided by Southeast Gas, and the building's telecommunication providers are set to include Troy Cable, Wow!, Spectrum and CenturyLink.

"Projects like this take on certain risks and there are no guarantees but based on our rich history of undertaking past speculative building projects, we are convinced this is the right time and place to move ahead," noted Brad Kimbro, chair of the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.

The new building at the Sam Houston Industrial Park is the fifth speculative building developed in the Dothan area to induce economic activity, with structure sizes varying from 40,000 sq. ft. to the current 100,000 sq. ft. construction.

"We have a great team, and we all work together collaboratively to focus on the needs of our area," noted state Rep. Dexter Grimsley, "and this project exemplifies the continued teamwork we have in our area."

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