SERENDIPITY DO-DAH

Serendipity can be defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.  That is exactly what we have going on with the Sandow Ranch property, or some of you know better as ALCOA.

I am truly amazed at all of the folks wanting to take credit for what is happening with the ALCOA property outside Rockdale.  First there was the Blue Sky Proposal.  A proposal to get Amazon to build their next distribution center on the property.

Blue Sky was an appropriate name for the proposal.  The term blue-sky used as a verb is to make impractical or as yet unachievable plans.  As an adjective it means not yet practical or profitable.  Out of all the requirements in the request for proposals from Amazon Milam County did not meet a single one.  Therefore Blue Sky was a spot on description of the project.  

"The Committee" was given credit for the Blue Sky Proposal, and many folks jumped up to talk about their involvement with the project.  "The Committee" is another blog coming down the road.  Just need a little more research.

Now there are numerous county leaders, economic development groups, political candidates and others wanting to take their share of the credit for the recent Bitmain project that is in fact developing as you read.

Bitmain is a great thing for Milam County.  Even with an 80% tax abatement for five years and then gradually decreasing over the next five years it will still bring more tax revenue to Milam County and the Rockdale School District. According to the powers that be, it is also expected to bring up to 400 new jobs to the area.  That will have to be seen.

ALCOA has also leased a large block of land to a local rancher for a ten year period, and according to my sources there are plans for much bigger things to happen at the Sandow Ranch property.  In fact while the property has been up for sale for sometime it looks to me like ALCOA might be making a decision to lease the property rather than sell it outright.

So far the projects at ALCOA are lease projects.  Future projects might purchase property, but seems to me ALCOA could come out ahead by entering into long term leases and selling the water that is already permitted.

 Bottom line is that what is going on at this point is serendipitous activity.  Bitmain found ALCOA.  They need a lot of electricity to power their project.  The infrastructure for power exists at the ALCOA property.  The rancher is local and needs good pasture for his cattle.  Good pasture exists at the ALCOA property. 

My point is that the property characteristics are what brought these projects to the county.  Bitmain is not the first bitcoin operation to move into an ALCOA smelter.  Coinmint agreed to lease an upstate New York ALCOA facility in December of 2017.  Their decision was also based on the infrastructure.

Many of those wanting to claim credit for Bitcoin also claimed fame for the Blue Sky proposal which was dead on arrival.  With or without those claiming credit for what is happening it would have happened.

Granted, the economic development organizations and elected officials and county leaders did encourage development at the Sandow Ranch property, and you can be sure they will continue to encourage future development, but the real credit for happy days coming back to Milam County belongs to ALCOA management.