County economic-development staff updated the Hancock County Board of Supervisors on progress toward buying a roughly 50-acre parcel at the CSX interchange and said the county has amended deadlines so the seller could close while abroad.

According to staff, the purchase is moving toward a closing scheduled around July 18 and will include roughly $100,000 in closing and purchase costs. Staff said the board had previously authorized a possible sale of a county-owned manufactured-property site to private development partners and that a purchase-and-sale agreement could be listed on a future agenda for approval.

Why it matters: the CSX interchange property is being positioned for growth and expansion, and staff said the county and its development partners expect to bring a purchase-and-sale agreement for the manufactured-property parcel to the board for review. The timeline discussed would allow a closing in August or early September during the current fiscal year if approvals proceed.

What the board heard: staff said the seller was temporarily out of the country and that the county had amended its closing window to add 45 days to the prior deadline to accommodate signatures and travel. Staff said they would reach out to supervisors to confirm signatures once documents were finalized.

Board action: there was no formal vote at the meeting on the purchase or sale; staff described the status and said they would present any purchase-and-sale agreement and closing documents to supervisors for formal approval at a future meeting.

Details reported by staff: closing activities are being coordinated by county staff; no final sale documents or buyer names for the manufactured-property parcel were approved at the meeting.