Tuscaloosa County Lands $2.3 Million Grant to Prep Airport Site

Tuscaloosa County has secured more than $2.3 million in state funding to prepare a long-underutilized industrial site near the Tuscaloosa National Airport for future development, with local matching funds bringing the total project investment to more than $4.6 million.

The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority was awarded the funding through the Alabama Department of Commerce's Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy program, known as SEEDS.

The grant will fund critical site development work at the former S.D. Allen facility in the Tuscaloosa County Airport Industrial Park.

When complete, the work will create a contiguous 230-acre shovel-ready site positioned to attract advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, automotive component manufacturing, and food and beverage processing industries, the TCEDA said in a release.

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The grant was announced alongside a prior round of SEEDS assessment funding that confirmed the S.D. Allen site as viable for multiple industry sectors, and the Alabama Department of Commerce presented TCEDA officials with a check during the authority's Board of Directors meeting Thursday.

The news was celebrated by local and state officials in a Friday press release.

"Alabama continues to lead because we invest in the fundamentals that make growth possible, including ready sites, skilled people and the infrastructure to support serious industry,” said Governor Kay Ivey. “This SEEDS grant will turn a long-underused property into a shovel-ready asset that positions Tuscaloosa County to compete for the advanced manufacturing and aerospace projects of tomorrow.”

"Today's competitive marketplace requires quality, ready-to-build sites," said Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson. "By receiving this grant and making these improvements, our community will be better prepared to attract future investment."

Mayor Walt Maddox called the Airport Industrial Park one of West Alabama's most important economic assets.

"This investment reflects what is possible when local, state, and federal partners work together toward a common vision,” said Maddox. “By continuing to prepare this site for future industry, we are positioning our region to attract transformative investment, create high-quality jobs, and ensure lasting economic opportunity for generations to come."

TCEDA Chairman Tim Parker said the grant, combined with local government commitment, would turn an underutilized property into one of the county's most competitive industrial sites.

The site-prep project is expected to be complete by the end of 2027.

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