The Athens City Council took a step to help a new industry locate in the city by agreeing Wednesday to provide $80,000 in matching money for a state grant to build a rail spur.

Today, Athens Mayor Dan Williams and Limestone County Economic Development Association President Tom Hill are traveling to Montgomery to hand deliver the application to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

The application for the $640,000 ADECA grant requires $160,000 in matching funds, but the, as yet, unnamed company, will split the local match with the city.

“We’re trying to get to ADECA while the Legislature is still in session,” said Hill. “We hope to hand-deliver it with Sen. (Tom) Butler (D-Madison).”

Hill has been working with the company officials for several months.

In March, the company, which is projected to hire 125 workers by the end of 2008, applied to the Athens Board of Zoning Adjustments for a conditional permit for use of the old Martin Industries building on Elm Street. The company had also asked the zoning board for conditional use of an Elm Street Industrial Park site. Both sites did not include “plastic concrete and metal manufacturing” in their General or Light Industrial District zoning.

Hill continues to refer to his work with the company as “Project Quality” because he said there are two contingencies that have to be met which will determine whether the company will locate here.

“The project is still not a done-deal,” said Hill.

Hill said the company must still obtain a letter of indemnity from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and be assured that the ADECA grant has been approved. Hill said if those two contingencies are met, he would return to the City Council at its April 24 meeting and request a tax abatement for the company, the name of which would then become public.

Hill said the company is negotiating on leasing or buying an existing building that they hope to close on in May.