Mega-success: General Assembly comes through with money for Burke/McDowell megasite

In its current state, the 1,353-acre Great Meadows Megasite on the border of Burke and McDowell counties would make an outstanding deer hunting lease or a superb area for riding dirt bikes.

But Burke Development Inc. and the N.C. General Assembly have much more ambitious plans.

Monday morning, the state presented Burke Development (BDI) with a check for $35.8 million to be used for land acquisition and infrastructure for the site, which could potentially have an enormous economic impact on Burke County and the entire region.

North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore was on hand to present the check, along with elected officials including Sen. Warren Daniel, House Rep. Hugh Blackwell and Dudley Greene, members of both the Burke and McDowell County Boards of Commissioners, and Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson. 

The money comes in the form of an allocation from the state budget, passed in late September. Burke County Manager Brian Epley said approximately $22.5 million is earmarked for purchasing the land, while the remaining $12.5 million will be used for the extensive water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure that will be required. Burke Development has held an option on the land since before the allocation was approved, according to BDI’s Hope Hopkins.

It’s a project that has been in the works for years, and it finally culminated in Monday’s special announcement, which took place in a shady cove a few yards down the road that leads into the interior of the expansive property off Exit 94 on I-40.

All but 200 acres of the tract are inside Burke County, with the rest in McDowell. It took a cooperative effort between the two counties to see the process come to fruition.

The end results could eventually provide a boost over an even wider area.

“Ultimately, it’s a massive step forward as an economic catalyst for the region,” said  Epley, “and we’re grateful to have our local delegation – Sen. Daniel and Rep. Blackwell and Rep. Dudley Greene from McDowell County, and Speaker Moore – in town to help us celebrate it. Now, we’re ready to get to work and make it all happen.”

Scott Mulwee, Chairman of the Burke Board of Commissioners, agreed the site’s impact could eventually be enormous.

“It’s literally history in the making,” Mulwee said. “We’re going to be the only megasite available in Western North Carolina. We recognized the opportunity on this site many years ago, but today is the first time we’re really going to be able to look at the site, purchase the site, bring infrastructure to the site, and market the site. So this is a huge step forward for all of Western North Carolina. We’ve never seen an opportunity like this and probably won’t see another opportunity like this in our lifetime. We’ve got to be cognizant of that fact and make sure we do all the right steps.”

McDowell County Commission Vice-Chairman David Walker said he appreciates the teamwork involved.

“It’s an honor to be here today,” said Walker. “We’re so excited about the partnership we have with Burke County.

“We believe in partnership, cooperation, and getting things done.”

Burke Development Executive Director Alan Wood was out of town and unable to attend, but those present were quick to recognize Wood’s tireless efforts to land the megasite.

Burke Commissioner Jeff Brittain, speaking on behalf of BDI, said Wood’s fingerprints are all over the project.

“Alan has done a tremendous amount of work for this region,” Brittain said. “He thinks a lot about Burke County, but Alan also thinks a lot about this whole region, because he understands the impact that we all have together.”

“He has been a champion for this project. His vision for the economic success of Burke County is not just ending here. This is just another example. Alan works continuously to help us.”

Typically, ‘megasite’ is a loosely applied term that refers to a large piece of commercial property that is shovel-ready – with infrastructure already in place – for industries.

In North Carolina, the term is generally used for such sites if they encompass more than 1,000 square acres. Such locations are usually only viable if they have access to either railroads, interstate highways, or both. Great Meadows is convenient to both the Norfolk Southern line and I-40.

Epley said Great Meadows is the only plot in the western end of the state that fits those criteria. Moore said similar endeavors down east have been highly successful, and he has high hopes for this one.

“What we’ve realized as western legislators is that we’ve seen how successful megasites have been in the east and how successful they’ve been in the Piedmont,” Moore said. “If you look at what’s happening out in Chatham County and look at what's happening in Randolph and Guilford, those are pretty well full now. There’s one down in Edgecombe County that’s not being used.

“But we really didn’t have a megasite in Western North Carolina, and we realized that’s something y’all have known locally, and we’ve been having this conversation trying to bring a megasite here to rural Western North Carolina.”

Officials said the land could be turned into a campus for a single large industry, or it could be broken up to host numerous smaller ones. For the most part, those in attendance were tight-lipped about potential tenants, but some hinted that vehicle battery manufacturing companies could be interested.

Either way, the site could usher in a wave of jobs. The addition of those employment opportunities could help offset the loss of textiles and furniture manufacturing jobs that have long since disappeared.

“It seems a little trite to say it, but we still are trying to come back from the loss of furniture and textiles,” said Blackwell. “Doing it gradually is probably helpful economically because you can make adjustments, but it’s hard on folks. It’s hard on people who have their kids or family members move away because they’re trying to find jobs elsewhere. Whenever we have something like this, it’s exciting.

“I think this is a prospect for really well-paying jobs.”

Greene agreed with Blackwell’s optimism.

“Over the years, this region has kind of had to reinvent itself with the loss of so much industry over the years,” Greene said, “and I think this is going to be a big part in that reinvention process, and I look forward to the opportunities it’s going to bring, so I was proud to support it.”

Epley said the next step involves making sure all the background work – things like environmental studies – are completed correctly. That will set the stage for the massive infrastructure project.

Hopkins said the current landowners have logged the area in the past, but nothing has ever been built there. She said expanding the infrastructure is expected to take around 24 months.

“We’ve had a lot of those discussions already and we’ve got some estimates,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is tighten up our timeline and see where that puts us.”

Epley added the $12.5 million allotment should cover the cost.

“That will get us close, we think,” he said. “Obviously, a land-development project of this size is very complex. But when you look at the return on investment for the region over a multi-year span, it is just a game-changer.” 

That particular phrase was a popular one on this golden fall morning.

“This, as it’s already been stated, is a game-changer for our region,” said Brittain. “We are just so thankful we have been able to work with all our partners.”

Marty Queen is the senior reporter for The Paper. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 or at marty@thepaper.media.