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JACKSON – The Golden LEAF Foundation recently announced that Northampton County will receive a $1.5 million grant to complete more site work at the county’s Commerce Park.

The funds come through Golden LEAF’s SITE Program, which helps communities afford to develop spaces that can host future economic development. There are three parts to the SITE program: identification, due diligence, and development.

Last year, Northampton County received a $49,200 grant from Golden LEAF for due diligence work at the Commerce Park, which included conducting environmental assessments, mapping, and more. This year’s funding award is for the development phase, which provides money for public infrastructure work.

The $1.5 million will be used to extend wastewater infrastructure to the Commerce Park, which is a 500+ acre site located off of Lebanon Church Road in Garysburg, between exits 176 and 180 on Interstate 95.

“The Commerce Park includes sufficient water capacity, fiber telecommunications and natural gas, all of which are requirements for any type of industrial growth,” said Northampton County Economic Development Director Derrick Bennett. “Sewer infrastructure was the critical missing piece to the puzzle.”

Bennett said they applied for the grant in April.

“During the due diligence phase of the Commerce Park, we quickly realized that additional infrastructure was needed to attract industrial development, and as such, proceeded to apply for the grant,” he explained.

The improvements at the Commerce Park site are meant to bolster Northampton County’s economic development opportunities.

“North Carolina is one of the top business-friendly states in the nation and is experiencing rapid growth,” Bennett explained. “Attracting industrial development at the Commerce Park brings jobs, wage growth, and capital investment, which in turn, benefits the entire county.”

“This also leads to residential growth, more developed communities and quality of life, and makes our county more attractive both from a residential and commercial perspective,” he added.

When asked if there was a specific project coming to the Commerce Park, Bennett said his department is working on marketing and promoting the site.

Bennett thanked the Board of Commissioners for their support as his department works to grow the county.

“Economic Development in a Tier 1 County does not come easy or overnight,” he stated. “The Department of Economic Development is proud of the foundational work completed over the past few months. As Economic Development Director, I am following a bold and innovative approach to write these success stories for sustainable growth in the county.”

Northampton County Manager Julian Phillips told the News Herald that the county is focusing efforts on building a strong foundation for current and future growth, in accordance with their strategic plan.

“I applaud our EDC team for all that they are doing to continuously foster growth for the betterment of our great county,” he stated.

Golden LEAF (which stands for Long-Term Economic Advancement Foundation) was created in 1999 as a part of a settlement with cigarette manufacturers. The organization used the payments from those companies to create an endowment which is dedicated to building economic development across the state, particularly in rural, economically-distressed, and tobacco-dependent communities.

Since its inception, Golden LEAF has funded more than 2,000 projects totaling over $1.3 billion.