Guaranteed Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Sites

Preparing industrial sites for development with advance due diligence is the work behind Georgia’s GRAD sites program, established by Georgia Allies.

To earn the GRAD designation, an industrial site must meet a stringent set of criteria that concludes with a third-party review to verify that all requirements have been met.  Georgia Allies started the program by soliciting communities to submit their sites and then paid for the review by the third party, Jim Bruce of Business Facility Planning Consultants. Georgia Allies will continue to provide marketing for the GRAD sites, but its financial role has concluded. Communities are still encouraged to have their industrial sites vetted for the GRAD designation.

Categories of due diligence and review include a minimum acreage (50 acres), secured ownership, zoning designation, road and rail accessibility, utilities service, and wetlands and stream delineation. Surveys already conducted for these sites include topographical, geotechnical, and environmental (Phase I), and investigations for cultural resources and endangered species.

Click here to see the GRAD sites available in Georgia.