| July 23, 2003
Kerr-Tar Hub Planning Group Begins Tackling Details
Kerr-Tar Region, North Carolina -- Community leaders in Franklin,
Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties in North Carolina
are moving ahead with plans for the Kerr Tar Hub, a regional
collaboration for transitioning a rural area to the new economy.
At its July 21 meeting, the five-county exploratory committee
of regional economic developers, county managers, elected
officials and community college presidents reported the recommendations
of work groups considering how to select, govern and enhance
a site for a technology park to attract investment to the
five-county region served by the Kerr-Tar Regional Council
of Governments (COG).
"Now we're getting down to the hard decisions,"
said Neil Mallory, the executive director of the Kerr-Tar
COG, whose staff is facilitating the hub planning effort.
Site Selection. The process for selecting
the best site for the hub will allow each of the five counties
to put forward its best site for consideration, as Benny Finch
of Vance County reported for the Site Selection Work Group.
The final site selection will be based primarily on its location
advantages (e.g., accessibility to four-lane roads, airports
and population centers) and the cost to develop the site to
a “shovel-ready” point (as estimated by an outside
engineering expert). Other considerations are the size of
the tract (at least 300 acres), the degree of public control
of the land, utility capacity, and the economic condition
of the host county.
The hub site should be far enough away from the Research
Triangle Park to serve as a new hub for rural job creation,
said Sam Watkins of the Vance County Economic Development
Commission. The hub likely will be linked to RTP by high-speed
telecommunications and business-to-business relationships
but also serve to spark other development with the Kerr-Tar
Region.
Ownership. The exploratory committee also
discussed on Monday the complex issue of how to share costs
and benefits of a multi-county hub. The recent passage of
House Bill 1301 by the N.C. General Assembly makes it simpler
for several local governments to engage in joint projects
for economic development. The Kerr-Tar Hub leaders also want
to attract private partners to the project, which will require
giving them a cut of the benefits and a say in how the hub
is managed. Some type of public-private authority may be the
way to give all the players a role and to ensure enough independence
and continuity of management to attract businesses to locate
in the hub, said Leslie Stewart of UNC-Chapel Hill’s
Office of Economic Development. That office conducted the
feasibility study for the hub concept and is providing technical
assistance for the project.
Enhancements. Attractive green space, on-site
college training, high-tech conferencing capability and recreational
facilities are among the key amenities that will be needed
to attract business investment to the technology park, said
Phil Baer from the Person County Economic Development Commission,
a member of the Land Use and Facilities Work Group. The park
also will need to provide a range of services to help tenant
business be competitive and grow as well as provide design
flexibility to serve tenant space needs at different stages
of development.
External Relations. A project Web site,
www.kerrtarhub.org, has been developed to inform local leaders
and interested others about the hub project and its progress,
said Dr. James Owen of Piedmont Community College, a member
of the External Relations Work Group.
The Exploratory Committee members expect to complete an overall
implementation plan for the hub by the end of 2003 and begin
developing detailed business plans and design in early 2004.
The committee agreed Monday to seek implementation funding
from the Golden LEAF (Long-term Economic Advancement Foundation),
the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the N.C. Department
of Commerce and others.
“This is going to be a long-term project,” said
committee member and Granville County economic developer Leon
Turner. “Plowing new ground will require open minds
and patience.”
The Kerr-Tar Region is out front of others in the state by
moving forward on a collaborative multi-county effort, said
Bill McNeil, director of community assistance for the N.C.
Department of Commerce. Others around the state are looking
with great interest at what the Kerr-Tar group is doing, said
Leslie Stewart.
For more information contact Neil Mallory, (252) 436-2040,
or Leslie Stewart (919) 962-8871.
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