The North Carolina Department of Commerce approved 10 grant requests totaling more than $14 million through the Rural ReadySites program, Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland announced today.
The Rural ReadySites program, run out of the Department of Commerce in partnership with the Rural Infrastructure Authority, helps rural communities prepare prospective sites for industrial development. The program will invest more than $14 million in public infrastructure construction and improvements for sites that have a strong potential to attract employers, create jobs and strengthen the local, regional and state economy. The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $2 million for this purpose, and the Department of Commerce added the additional $12 million to fund these projects.
“Companies are looking for sites that have the infrastructure they need to get to work growing their business right away,” said Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “Our rural communities often need additional funding to pepare sites for development, and this program is a step toward meeting that need.”
The following 10 localities were awarded a total of $14,328,165:
- Town of Wadesboro (Anson County): A $1,776,925 grant will help provide water, sewer and industrial access road improvements for an industrial park. Over 73 acres will be served by the project.
- Camden County: A $1,580,000 grant will make improvements to sewer and industrial access at a commerce park. Some 260 acres will be served by the project.
- Lenoir County: A $789,500 grant will extend sewer service at an industrial park serving a number of businesses. Over 51 acres will be directly served by the project, which should support future developments.
- Martin County: A $1,013,940 grant will extend sewer infrastructure and rehabilitate existing water infrastructure in an industrial park, serving 100 acres.
- Town of Middlesex (Nash County): A $1,514,600 grant will complete improvements to existing sewer, water and road infrastructure, creating a fully served business park of 330 acres.
- Person County: A $1,604,125 grant will extend water to a “megasite” park north of Roxboro, with 1,349 acres being served by the project.
- City of Reidsville (Rockingham County): A $1,132,500 grant will extend water and sewer to an industrial development site near U.S. 29.
The project will serve 55 acres. - Rutherford County: A $675,000 grant will extend water and sewer service to a county-owned site. The project will serve 104 acres and create the potential for additional economic development along a four-mile corridor of U.S. 221.
- Vance County: A $2,456,575 grant will bring water and sewer infrastructure to an industrial park. The project will serve 87 acres.
- Wayne County: A $1,785,000 grant will provide industrial road access, water and sewer to a site with easy access to I-795. The site represents a partnership between the city of Goldsboro, Wayne County and the Wayne County Development Alliance, and 118 acres will be served.
The participating projects in the Rural ReadySites Program must meet the following criteria:
- The applicant must be a government entity in a Tier 1 or 2 county.
- The site must be publicly owned or controlled.
- The site must be a minimum of 50 contiguous acres.
- Funds must only be used to construct public infrastructure with priority given to water, sewer and industrial access improvements. Additional consideration will be given to sites located in counties with greatest economic distress.
The Rural ReadySites program was funded by the North Carolina General Assembly and the Department of Commerce’s Industrial Development Fund.