Commissioners approve 6.11‑acre incentive grant for Project GLOBE in industrial park

The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize county staff and legal counsel to work with the City of Washington to grant a 6.11‑acre parcel in the Washington‑Beaufort County Industrial Park to an existing company identified in staff materials as “Project GLOBE.” Staff said Project GLOBE has proposed a $5 million investment in real property and the creation of 37 new jobs if selected. The county and the city will provide the 6.11‑acre incentive parcel; staff told the board the grant would be conditioned on the company meeting the capital investment and job creation targets within a proposed three‑year payback window tied to city and county tax revenues from the project. Infrastructure questions and funding: Commissioners asked whether the county is committing to paving or building the street that serves the parcel and where those funds would come from. Staff said the county submitted a pre‑application to the North Carolina Department of Commerce for infrastructure funding; an estimated infrastructure cost including roads, cul‑de‑sac and utilities was cited at about $1.6 million, and staff said costs would likely be shared with the City of Washington per past industrial‑park practice (about 55% county/45% city, staff said). Why it matters: The transaction is intended to attract a company that will expand local employment and tax base. Staff recommended the county take the lead on closing and on coordinating state grant applications to streamline the process. Vote: The commissioners approved staff authority to proceed with paperwork to grant the 6.11‑acre parcel and to coordinate with the city to pursue Commerce funding; no definitive grant award had been received at the meeting. Ending: Staff said it will report back on the Commerce pre‑application team call and return with any required formal agreements and funding details for board approval.