OLIVE HILL — Despite unexpected obstacles, the Stone Mountain Dataplex project in the Lawton community near Olive Hill is moving forward and expected to be back under construction in the near future.

“Everybody wants to know ‘when.’ We feel that the time is extremely close — weeks, a month. I don’t know,” said Bill Hazelip, chief operations officer.

“The interest is up. We’ve seen a flurry of activity recently,” Hazelip continued, adding the office had been contacted by four agencies interested in utilizing the company’s data storage facility during the first days of that week, as well as potential investors whom he declined to identify.

Stone Mountain Dataplex will specialize in ultra-secure data storage with thousands of computers inside a former limestone mine which has 20 times the interior space as the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The site will also utilize several highly reinforced buildings built to a 99.999 percent reliability standards outside of the former mine, all surrounded by a perimeter of elevated security measures.

“Security is extremely important to our clients,” Hazelip said, citing storage of medical records, financial information and government files. “It is critical information. Sometimes that information is worth more than money.”

Industry experts and analysts agree demand for data storage is outpacing available space, allowing Stone Mountain Dataplex a premium rate for such services, particularly when customers factor in the security and reliability designed into the project.

Hazelip said their office in Olive Hill continues to receive inquiries from potential clients, as well as investors, and he hopes to address some of the localized concerns which have surfaced in the community regarding the effort.

“What bothers me most is when people indicate we came to town to take, or rob, or take advantage of the community, when the truth of the matter is the opposite,” Hazelip said. “We have made no requests for tax relief and our intent is to provide a strong, viable business for the community, pay taxes and provide jobs and growth in the region.”

Once in business, Hazelip said he is confident Stone Mountain Dataplex will help transform Carter County from one of the state’s poorest to one of the wealthiest areas.

“It’s not a cash cow, it’s a cash herd,” he said. “There will be plenty of profits to share and I’m personally excited about the potential it has for this town and the people who live here. This has the potential to make Carter County one of the top five wealth counties in the state.”

The project does have to deal with pending legal issues, Hazelip said, although he believes those matters are nearing resolution.

Stone Mountain officials are “moving forward with negotiations to reach settlement” with Woolpert Inc., Hazelip said, and officials consider a lawsuit filed against the company by TLC Inc. to be “frivolous,” vague and lacking merit. Payment to subcontractors who worked under Womack Construction remains unresolved, he said, although Stone Mountain officials have an honest desire to pay those debts as soon as legal matters are settled.

“We did consider John Womack a friend and we regard his family highly,” Hazelip said, citing Womack’s sons by name. “We are saddened by his loss and we regret those circumstances. The bankruptcy is in court and that can take a while to settle. We intend to work with the trustee and Womack to insure that the contractors get paid in a timely manner. I believe we can engage the contractors to continue and pay for the work done under Womack’s contract.”

The office in Olive Hill has between 2,600 and 2,700 job applications and resumes on file, Hazelip said. Each application will be kept for a year, as required by law, and he encouraged anyone who wants to send an updated resume to do so in the immediate future.

Once all financing concerns have been addressed, Hazelip said they will have to tackle a sanitary sewer issue and make decisions regarding the contractor to do the remaining construction and utility work at the site. Nearly all of the subcontractors who have worked at the former mine site have provided outstanding results, he said, and are expected to be included in future work there. The company is also considering options to provide the substantial amount of electricity required to keep stored data secured, as well as redundant systems to maintain reliability for those served.

As a resident of Olive Hill, Hazelip said he is sometimes discouraged to hear people repeating unfounded comments about the project, although he won’t let such talk lessen his dedication to make the Stone Mountain Dataplex a reality.

“From here forward we are going to be up front with the community. We can’t let past things hold us back. We’re not carpetbaggers. I live in this community and we are here to make things better,” he said. “I am personally committed to this. I believe you don’t lose until you quit.”