Ashe County has marked a significant economic development milestone, as the County is now the owner of a 41.8-acre tract with the goal of creating an industrial park to add jobs and industry.
Where is Ashe County Industrial Park?
The land is located off Ray Taylor Road in the West Jefferson extra-territorial jurisdiction, across from GE Aviation. The County plans on developing the tract into as many as six separate lots.
What is the impact of Ashe County Industrial Park?
“The prospect of having new jobs, having a new company in the area is important to our County’s future,” Economic Development Director Cathy Barr said.
An economic impact analysis for Ashe County was made by the consultant Creative EDC. It estimates that the industrial park can create 322 direct jobs. It may also attract five new companies. The total output from businesses in the County would increase by $202,000,000 and the County’s tax base would increase by $162,868.95 annually.
Site work at the industrial park
WithersRavenel assisted Ashe County with preparatory work for the site, including:
- A GIS-based site evaluation
- Preliminary geotechnical investigation
- Wetland delineation
- Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
- Master plan
- Preliminary utility coordination
- Preliminary cost estimating
After completing these steps, WithersRavenel and Ashe Economic Development presented the Ashe County Board of Commissioners with the findings. The property was then acquired.
How was the industrial park funded?
To help fund quicker development of the property, Ashe County is applying for grants and loans. Potential funding sources include Blue Ridge Energy’s Rural Economic Development Loan Grant (REDLG) program, Appalachian Regional Commission and Golden LEAF.
What are next steps for Ashe County Industrial Park?
The next steps in the process that started nearly two years ago involve earth-moving and road-building, Barr said. When the site is ready, the County will have a finished product to show potential companies. The County also hopes to take advantage of the US 221 road widening project. This project is expected to encourage more growth.
The County plans to work with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. They will use website promotion, site brochures, social media, and other publicity to generate interest in the new site.
Barr wants to use a County-owned property to attract companies. This way, the County can grow and create more opportunities.
“I’d love to see our youth coming out of high school have more options as far as good companies to work for,” she said.