Truck driving school breaks ground in The Narrows

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

The first building project in The Narrows Business & Technology Park began site work and turning dirt this week. 
The Copperas Cove Economica Development Corporation, which owns The Narrows, closed on the sale of the 6.3-acre property to CDL Research & Development Group earlier this year. 
CDLRDG, headquartered in Miami, Fla., has been in business since 1991. Operating as The CDL School, the company has other training locations to include Lake Worth, Fla., Albany, NY; and New York, NY. 
The company also has a “Troops Into Transportation” initiative which specializes in training veterans exiting the military and preparing them for a new vocation.
In August 2016, the EDC and the Copperas Cove city council approved an incentive agreement with CDLRDG for $58,370, a discount on the purchase price of the property. The incentive is part of a performance agreement which also includes requirements which must be met by the company. 
CDLRDG is required to create four jobs with an aggregate payroll of $200,000 within 18 months after opening. CDLRDG must also receive its certificate of occupancy from the city within 12 months of the effective date of the performance agreement. 
In initial paperwork, CDLRDG intends to build in two phases, first to construct the school and training facility and then add a drop-off point for tractor trailer vehicles on the property.