What's going on at Drexel's 100-acre industrial site?

Something big seems to be brewing at Drexel’s refurbished 100-acre industrial development site, but town officials are keeping mum as to what may be in the works.

On Tuesday, construction materials and a piece of heavy equipment with the Wilkie Construction logo were placed in the old Drexel Furniture office parking lot, located directly across Main Street from the industrial site.

On Wednesday, the amount of construction materials in the parking lot had more than doubled, with several Wilkie Construction vehicles seen going in and out of the parking lot as well.

Wilkie Construction is headquartered in Lenoir.

The Board of Aldermen had a closed session at its regular September meeting on Tuesday evening at Town Hall “to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body.”

That closed session included Brandon Ruppe, president and CEO of Burke Development Incorporated, the county’s primary economic development agency.

No announcement was forthcoming after the closed session concluded and town officials were tight-lipped on Wednesday morning as to what’s up.

“We are partnering with Wilkie Construction of Lenoir to make our site more visible,” said Town Manager Bill Carroll. “We’re allowing them to use our vacant space to place building materials there for possible future use.”

Mayor Dennis Anthony said, “I have nothing to add.”

The industrial site was home to Drexel Furniture Company from the time it was launched in the early 1900s until its final closure in the early 2000s.

At one time, the site held not only a large furniture factory and a sprawling lumberyard to support it, but also the corporate headquarters for Drexel Furniture and a showroom to display new products in the spring and fall furniture markets.

The cleanup and grading of the site have cost more than $6 million, the bulk of which has been supplied by state and federal grant funding. The effort to get the site ready for use again has taken well over a decade.

Both Carroll and Ruppe have previously noted that the site is appealing due to its proximity to the railroad and needed utilities.

Unlike many industrial parks built farther outside of downtown areas, Drexel’s site sits directly across the train tracks from the downtown business district, something both Carroll and Ruppe believe could create ripple effects for local businesses.

“When you’re investing in this site, you’re investing in the whole town,” Carroll said.

This is a developing story, and The Paper will update it as more information becomes available.

In other actions at Tuesday’s meeting, the board:

• Agreed to purchase for $4,000 a vacant lot at 110 Reed St. The lot, which is land-locked, is adjacent to the industrial site. Purchase of the lot by the town will allow for a buffer between the industrial site and adjacent properties.
• Approved the rezoning of 106 Oakland Ave. so that owner Rick Ramsey can open a motorcycle service shop there. The building was home for many years to Price’s Department Store, which sold clothes and shoes to generations of Drexel residents.
• Approved a one-time permit for beer and wine to be served in the Drexel Community Center for a wedding reception which will be held there from 7-11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. Approval came on a 3-1 vote, with Alderman Scott Coe casting the dissenting vote.
• Approved an ordinance setting the minimum rate of pay for part-time town employees and reserve law enforcement officers. Part-time workers, primarily at the Community Center, will be paid $15 per hour while reserve law enforcement officers will be paid $25 per hour.
• Approved a lease agreement with Rex Willis, owner of The View portable drive-in theater, to continue to show films through the coming autumn. The agreement notes that The View will show primarily G- and PG-rated films. No X-rated films will be shown and any films rated R must be approved by the town.