By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A telecommunications company is planning to consolidate several of its current locations into the former Stacks Furniture building on U.S. 31 in Pelham.

The MasTec engineering firm, which constructs technology infrastructure such as cell phone towers, is planning to initially lease about 40,000-square-feet of the former Stacks Furniture building.

MasTec is planning to employ about 100 people when it opens in Pelham, and could eventually employ as many as 200, according to Pelham Mayor Gary Waters.

“We jumped through a few minor zoning issues, and they came and pulled their permit (to make upgrades to the property) today,” Waters said during a July 15 City Council work session. “They are wanting to move all of their fragmented operations to a single location in Pelham.

“This is a national company,” Waters added.

MasTec currently operates four offices in Pelham, all of which will be consolidated at the former Stacks building.

The former Stacks Furniture building has been vacant since the furniture store closed its doors in early 2012. Before Stacks occupied the building in August 2010, the former Walmart building sat vacant for several years.

Former Pelham City Council member Bill Meadows played a major role in drawing MasTec to Pelham, Waters said.

“I got a call from former councilman Bill Meadows, who was at a convention in San Diego,” Waters said. “He said ‘If you’ll call this company, I’ve got someone interested in the old Stacks building.’

“I think that speaks to his character,” Waters said of Meadows. “He didn’t have to do that. He’s not in office anymore, but he’s still looking out for the city.”