Golden LEAF Board of Directors awards $10 million in first two rounds of SITE Program

The SITE Program supports communities in identifying potential sites for economic development and provides funds to enable completion of due diligence on sites already identified or to extend public utilities to or conduct rough grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed. The three phases of the SITE Program are Identification, Due Diligence, and Development.

At the December 2021 and June 2022 meeting of the Golden LEAF Board of Directors, the Board awarded $9,957,488 in funding for 24 projects through the Golden LEAF SITE Program in Alexander, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Franklin, Halifax, Macon, Martin, McDowell, Moore, Montgomery, Nash, Onslow, Person, Robeson, Rockingham, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yancey counties.

“The need for industrial sites, especially in rural areas, was a gap identified in our strategic planning process,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “As we have seen, ready sites are no longer a luxury but a necessity to move at the speed of business. The second round of SITE Program projects will help prepare North Carolina for these economic growth opportunities.”

SITE Program – Identification allocates funds to a firm contracted by Golden LEAF to help identify potential industrial sites in a community. Macon, Montgomery, Moore, Wilkes, and Stokes counties were selected to receive assistance in this phase. 

The Golden LEAF Board awarded $190,650 in funding to support three SITE Program – Due Diligence projects. These projects will receive funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses, and mapping. Organizations receiving SITE Program – Due Diligence support include:

• $17,500 to the Foundation for Duplin County Industrial and Business Development for the Duplin County AirPark.
• $18,500 to Halifax County for the Enfield Industrial Park.
• $29,500 to Martin County Economic Development Corporation for the NC Rail and Commerce Park.
• $50,000 to Nash County for the Middlesex Corporate Centre.
• $39,650 to Surry County for the Westwood Industrial Park.
• $35,500 to Robeson County for the Comtech Park.

For the SITE Program – Development, the Golden LEAF Board awarded $9,691,838 in funding for seven projects that will provide public infrastructure and, for publicly owned sites, clearing and rough grading, to benefit sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for development. Organizations receiving SITE Program – Due Development support include:

• $632,412 to Alexander County Economic Development Corporation for grading and erosion control for a building pad.
• $937,600 to Cumberland County to clear and grade approximately 30 acres of the 159 Sand Hill Road site.
• $423,500 to the Foundation for Duplin County Industrial and Business Development for clearing and grubbing of a tract within the Duplin County AirPark, adjacent to Duplin County Regional Airport.
• $965,830 to the City of Fayetteville to upgrade a sewer lift station and construct a force main, and some due diligence activities for 172.13 acres located at Fayetteville Regional Airport.
• $1,000,000 to Jacksonville-Onslow Economic Development Partnership for clearing, grading, and drainage systems that will yield nearly 40 acres of stormwater-ready sites at Jacksonville Business Park.
• $252,720 to the Town of Louisburg for clearing, grubbing, and rough grading at Louisburg Commerce Park, an approximately 50-acre site that recently expanded.
• $952,000 to McDowell County for clearing and grubbing, and rough grading of approximately 50 percent of the 413-acre Universal Technology Park site.
• $188,513 to the Town of Nashville for grubbing and clearing of two lots in the Nashville Business Center, design and engineering, and completion of due diligence to develop affordable construction-ready industrial sites.
• $973,750 to Person County to complete due diligence, and clear and grade a 26-acre parcel in the county-owned North Park Site.
• $992,000 to Rockingham County for clearing, grubbing, and rough grading of a 33-acre lot within Reidsville Industrial Park.
• $998,512.50 to Rutherford County Economic Development Corporation for rough grading of two adjacent parcels at RiverStone Business Park.
• $375,000 to the Town of Tabor City for updated due diligence and grading costs for a lot in the Tabor City Industrial Park.
• $1,000,000 to East Yancey Water and Sewer District to provide roughly 11,000 linear feet of water main extension and grading at a new industrial park. The project will support the location of Little Leaf Farms that will create 100 jobs at a $53,700 annual average wage, $86 million in private investment, and another potential site at this new park.

Applications for the Fall 2022 Golden LEAF SITE Program are due Monday, September 19th at noon. If you have started an application, please make sure to have the application completed, including all required attachments, before noon on September 19th.