Although slow, the project to attract industries to Sebring is moving forward

Commenting on the lengthy and involved Rural Economic Development Catalyst Project, a former Enterprise Florida official said in 2008, "If it was a simple process it would have been done a long time ago."

In April 2007, Sebring Regional Airport and the airport's site emerged as the top location for the catalyst project in the region. The project will target industries with the goal of creating high-paying jobs, capital investment and an economic ripple. They include medical device manufacturers, research and development and pharmaceuticals.

Now, more than 2 1/2 years later, the project is progressing.

The 100-acre site is on the east-northeast side of the airport off Carroll Shelby Drive. The road is approximately three miles long and connects to Haywood Taylor Boulevard.

Construction on the site could begin in July of this year. Water, sewer, electric and gas will need to be installed there.

The infrastructure design is about 60 percent complete, according to Mike Willingham, executive director of the Sebring Airport Authority.

Applying for permits could begin either next month or in March. Permits will be needed from the South Florida Water Management District and Army Corps of Engineers among others.

It could take 60 to 180 days to get the permit from the water management district, according to Willingham.

"There is quite a bit of work; it's a big job," Willingham said.

But he noted it could have "profound effects" on the area.

"This could be a community-changing or region-changing project," Willingham said.

Enterprise Florida will be handling the marketing for the project. The organization, which is a public-private partnership devoted to statewide economic development, said in a statement "details about the timeline for the Sebring Airport Authority's infrastructure project are contingent upon the results of the final engineering assessment. We look forward to the economic impact that this project will have in Highlands County and its vicinity."

Dan Murphy, executive director of the Highlands County Economic Development Commission, attended a medical device and manufacturers' trade show last year in New York. Murphy said the Florida booth was approached by several manufacturers, including many from New Jersey who are interested in relocating.

"Apparently something happened tax wise in New Jersey and a lot of them are looking at greener pastures," he said.

There are several medical device manufacturers already in Florida, according to Murphy.

Willingham is on the agenda for Monday's meeting of Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative in Lake Placid and is planning to update the FHREDI board on the project.