03/28/2024
Spread the love

By Erin Smith

The Bladen County Board of Commissioners met on Monday night and approved an option to purchase agreement with Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial. The option to purchase agreement came about as part of a grant opportunity, according to Bladen County Economic Development Director Chuck Heustess.

He said the Rural ReadySites program through the North Carolina Department of Commerce is making $12 million in funds available for 10 sites which will be selected from the applications submitted. Some of the criteria for consideration for the program include: the site must be located in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 county; the site must be publicly owned or controlled; it must be 50 contiguous acres; and additional consideration will be given to counties which are economically distressed. The grant does not require the creation of jobs, said Heustess.

Heustess said the grant stipulates that the funds cannot be used for improvements to land that is privately owned or for purchasing land.

Heustess said the option to purchase 90 acres of land located in the Elizabethtown Industrial Park demonstrates to the State there is local government control/ownership of the site and Bladen County is also considered a Tier 1 county which will help to strengthen the grant application. The deadline for submission of the grant application is April 13th.

“This does not mean the County is going to buy the land. It demonstrates to the State the County can buy the land,” said Heustess.

The town of Elizabethtown also has an option to purchase on a tract of land owned by Mary Greene which is also located in the industrial park, according to Heustess.

If the grant application is approved, the funds will be utilized to extend water and sewer services as well as a street from Mercer Mill-Brown Marsh Road into the industrial park. The project will consist of about 5,000 feet of additional street and water and sewer lines. Heustess said he expects to have the cost estimates for the project by next week.

Heustess said if Bladen County’s project is selected for funding, it would open up about 12 additional lots for development in the park and it would create two avenues of entrance and exit from the park. Currently, the only access to the industrial park is by Ben Greene Industrial Park Drive.

Heustess said County officials hope to learn later this summer if the grant application will be approved.

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