Commissioners to consider incentives for national homebuilder

The Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp. on Monday is expected to ask the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for $510,000 to entice a construction industry to locate here.

Robert Van Geons, the organization’s president and CEO, will make his pitch before the commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting. But before making a decision, the board must hold a public hearing.

The commissioners will hold the public hearing in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. The meeting starts at 6:45 p.m.

According to a memorandum from Van Geons to commissioners, “Project Dogwood” is a U.S.-based “leader in the residential construction industry.’’ It is considering vacant property on Dunn Road to locate a manufacturing facility.

The proposal, according to Van Geons, would create 189 jobs by 2027 paying an average annual wage of $45,079 resulting in an $8.5 million annual payroll.

Along with a 130,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, the project would invest more than $25 million in real estate improvements and equipment by 2027.

Additionally, the project could foster additional economic development on adjacent property and perhaps create a new industrial park on Dunn Road, according to Van Geons.

He notes that the company is looking at other sites in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Van Geons is asking the county to provide a “local incentive” grant not to exceed more than $510,000 to be paid over five years.

Van Geons projects the county will reap more than $210,000 annually in new taxes, and the city will get more than $130,000 a year.

The Fayetteville City Council on June 13 approved a request to provide $317,000 in incentives to help bring the company to the area.

In other business, the Board of Commissioners will: 

• Hold a public hearing regarding the town of Spring Lake's request to be added to the county's Recreation Services District. The town's inclusion into the service district requires the board to hold a public hearing and to mail notices to every property owner in the area to be annexed. 
• Consider a consent agenda item approving a contract with Motorola Solutions for the Sheriff’s Office to buy 350 body-worn and 352 in-car cameras and associated equipment. According to a memo to commissioners from Sheriff Ennis Wright, the board approved a request for proposals in January. The cost of the cameras and all associated equipment and training totals a little more than $3.6 million. 

Jason Brady covers Cumberland County government for CityView TODAY. He can be reached at jbrady@cityviewnc.com.