Scotland awarded $1.3M to attract new industry with shell building construction

LAURINBURG — Scotland County is one step closer to becoming more marketable to potential businesses and industries for economic growth.

This week the Golden Leaf board of directors cleared an award of $1.35 million to the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation as part of $9,614,500 in funding for seven projects through the Shell Building Pilot Program.

The money was granted to the Scotland County EDC to construct a 30,000 square-foot shell building located at the SCEDC Incubator Park behind FCC on 401, which is within the Laurinburg city limits, said Mark Ward, director of the Scotland County EDC. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $1,500,000 in private capital and the creation of 25 jobs with the average salary of $45,116.

In February, The Golden LEAF Foundation awarded $50,000 to the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation to develop a preliminary design plan for the shell building as part of Phase 1, Ward said. “Based on the due diligence we were able to apply for the addition, $1.35 million, to begin construction the building … We will begin a design-build process and bid out probably in the next 30 to 45 days and hopefully we can start a construction phase by November,” Ward said.

The North Carolina General Assembly provided $10 million to the Golden LEAF Foundation to implement the Golden LEAF Shell Building Pilot Program.

Under the authorizing legislation, governmental and charitable nonprofit entities in Ashe, Bladen, Columbus, Franklin, Halifax, Robeson, and Scotland counties are eligible to apply for funding. The program is intended to provide grants to increase the number of available, publicly-owned industrial buildings suitable for new or expanding businesses, other than retail, entertainment, or sports projects.

The award to Scotland County Economic Development Corporation was funded by recent state appropriations to Golden LEAF for the Shell Building Pilot Program,” the Foundation informed Representative Pierce on Thursday. “Golden LEAF is pleased to be part of this project to increase economic opportunity in rural North Carolina.”

“The Golden LEAF Foundation, like so many others, recognizes that Scotland and Hoke Counties continue to provide fertile ground for economic development and innovation,” Rep. Garland Pierce released in a statement Thursday. “I am proud of the significant state funding we’ve been able to achieve over the last year for our District, and today’s award is another win. I am grateful to Golden LEAF for recognizing our great potential and putting us in an even stronger position to create more jobs and more oppo40rtunity.”

Ward said the addition of the shell building gives the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation more inventory to market to new industries and could even assist existing industries.

“Two years ago we received a $2 million EDA Grant to assist in construction of a 50,000 square foot building …. Currently that is the only building the EDC owns in the county. There are two other buildings available, privately held, and we market those and the airport has a building,” Ward said.

“This building will be state-of-the-art, up-to-date, proper ceiling height, expandable … It just gives us another resource to market,” Ward said.

The economic development director said that this project coming into fruition would not have been possible without the collaboration of Laurinburg and Scotland County officials.

“The Scotland County EDC Board, the City of Laurinburg and Scotland County have been seeming to work well together with this. All three entities were involved in the application and all three support us to continue trying to attract the industry so I’m glad that we all work well together. They see the urgency and that see this as a common goal,” Ward said.