NCRR Injects $2MM Into ‘Build Ready’ Sites

(NCRR Photograph)

The North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) is investing a total of $2 million in four projects in four counties across the state as part of its 2023 Build Ready Sites (BRS) program. Richmond, Nash, Burke and Warren counties will each use the funds to improve available rail-served sites to attract new businesses and prepare for future industrial development, according to NCRR.

The BRS 2023 program award recipients are:

1. Energy Way Industrial Complex (Richmond County).
2. Ammons Site (Nash County).
3. Great Meadows Site (Burke County).
4. The Highway 1 Site (Warren County).

“Rail-served sites made ‘build ready’ attract new businesses by priming properties for construction without an upfront investment from an interested client,” NCRR said. “The BRS program helps the recipients, many of which are local governments, bypass a potential client company’s need to prepare a rail-served site for construction, increasing the number of rail-served sites ready for use by a manufacturer or similar employer in North Carolina.”

BRS funds can be used for land preparation, such as clearing and grading and extending water and sewer capabilities. The selection criteria for this program prioritize proposals from rural and economically distressed communities; sites with demonstrated community backing; and locations with support from infrastructure partners, including railroads and certain utility providers, according to NCRR, which launched the BRS program in 2021.

“Our Build Ready Sites program is a unique opportunity for counties in North Carolina to receive investment and professional assistance toward preparing sites for new opportunities and businesses,” NCRR President and CEO Carl Warren said. “We’re excited for this year’s recipients and looking forward to the impact these investments will have across the state for years to come.”

“Two million dollars awarded to these four counties is game-changing and meaningful,” said Jordan Whichard, Chief Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce and an NCRR Board Member. “This level of investment will help prime these locations for future employers and attract additional investments in these communities.”

The BRS 2024 program application opens in July and closes in September 2024.