Vidalia seeks $7M in bonds for ‘very big project’

Published 12:05 am Friday, February 20, 2015

VIDALIA — The City of Vidalia will seek millions of dollars in bonds this spring for an economic development project.

City officials are keeping what that project is, however, close to the vest.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said the city administration — including the board of aldermen — has agreed to take the economic development issue to the Louisiana State Bond Commission’s March 19 meeting.

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The city will request permission to take out $7 million in bonds in support of the project, Copeland said.

The mayor declined to discuss the project further except to characterize it as “commercial and residential” and to say it included discussions of properties inside and outside the city limits.

The details of the project cannot be discussed at this time because it has not been fully closed, Copeland said.

“It is a good, positive development, and we have discussed it with the board, and they have agreed to move forward with it,” he said.

“I am not at liberty to say more because it is a very big project, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. I think everybody will be surprised at the magnitude of the project.”

The mayor said more information would be available in 30-60 days.

Vidalia Mayor Pro Tem Vernon Stevens declined to discuss the bond issue, deferring comment to Copeland and saying he was not sure what information was meant to be released at this time.

Concordia Parish Economic Development Director Heather Malone could not be reached for comment. An assistant said she was out of the office this week.