The Development Authority of Bainbridge-Decatur County Board of Directors gave final approval Thursday on the construction of a 60,000 square-foot speculative building in Commodore Industrial Park.

PDC Construction of Bainbridge was the successful bidder on the project with a low bid of $872,000.

The authority has applied for a low-interest $500,000 loan from the Georgia Department of Economic Development office. That loan would not be repaid until the building becomes occupied. Local banks would finance the remainder of the building cost.

Rick McCaskill, Development Authority Executive Director, indicated that the structure would be a complete metal building with 28-foot sidewalls and three overhead doors. The building would be easily expandable and customizable depending upon an occupant’s needs.

“We feel we have thought through this pretty well and bounced our plan off other people who have built spec buildings. We feel this does the best job at meeting the requirements of the prospects we are targeting,” said McCaskill.

Board member Mike Conder made the motion to accept the construction bid and proceed with the project, contingent upon the completion of a soil compaction study and the successful application of the low-interest loan from the state. Board member Ted Martin seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

In other business, the board voted to spend $15,000 to assist the Southwest Georgia Railroad to construct a “Choice Terminal” in the Decatur County Industrial Park. The site, which would serve a 200-mile radius, would include five rail spurs that would accommodate loading and unloading of rail containers.

The authority would provide a 600 feet by 80 feet pad of granite aggregate base in the area where the spurs would be constructed.

The board voted unanimously to allow McCaskill to proceed on the project with the railroad.

The 2016 slate of officers were elected during the meeting and remained unchanged from the prior year. Keith Lyle will serve as chairman, Jason Lee will be vice chairman, and Conder will remain as secretary and treasurer.