| Hub History
Business, government and academic partners are collaborating to create a specialized industrial park to attract 21st-century jobs and investment to the Kerr-Tar Region, located in the northern Research Triangle Region of North Carolina.
Much-needed Initiative
The feasibility
of the hub concept was established in a February
2003 study by The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Office of Economic
Development (OED) (now the Carolina Center for
Competitive Economies) for the Research
Triangle Regional Partnership. Funding was provided
by the Golden
LEAF.
The hub is a much-needed
initiative to help these four rural counties participate more
fully in the technology-driven economy of the Research Triangle
Region. Jobs created in Hub sites provide opportunities for
regional workers to enjoy good-paying jobs closer to home,
The Kerr-Tar Hub
was envisioned as a network of sites that offer a variety
of enhancements attractive to employers but require a more
substantial investment than any single county could provide
on its own. The concept of a focused, attractive, tech-intensive,
locally driven regional park network has attracted the interest
of federal, state and foundation leaders who can no longer
support each county trying to go it alone.
Kerr-Tar Collaborative
Capitalizing on a history of effective multi-county collaboration, community, government, business and community college leaders in the region organized to specify how to implement this long-term vision for the sustainable economic benefit of their citizens.
These leaders discussed how to make the hub a true collaborative, involving joint investments and benefits. To compete in the knowledge economy, the hub is envisioned to be a continually innovating partnership between business and education, facilitated by all the local governments working together.
Aggressive Process
Four work groups met about twice monthly to examine and recommend plans for:
- Ownership Governance, and Management
- Site Identification and Selection
- Land Use Planning, Facilities, Amenities and Phasing
- External Relations and Resources
The Kerr-Tar Council of Governments coordinated the development of the hub and now serves as project administrator.
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