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Economic development director cites RIF grant, Pulse rehab and mega‑site work; requests sustained funding
Summary
The county’s economic development director said a $1.7 million state RIF grant will fund rehab work at the Pulse/UNIMAC building and urged continued county support to sustain recruitment and marketing efforts for manufacturing, retail and agriculture.
An economic development official briefed commissioners on activities and funding at the Jackson County Economic Development Council and asked the commission to continue its financial support.
The director said the EDC has asked the county for the same contribution for a third straight year and hopes to double the program budget over the next couple of years if the board sees return on investment. He cited a roughly $1.7 million RIF (Rural Infrastructure Fund) grant that was awarded to support rehabilitation of the UNIMAC/Pulse building and said construction and private tenant activity is beginning.
The director also described longer-term projects, including work on a county “mega site” (approximately 2,147 acres) where recent feasibility work is outdated and would require a fresh analysis. He said updating the mega-site proposal package — including current utility and rail cost estimates and site-preparation data that developers expect — could cost $30,000–$50,000 or more. Retail recruitment and other targeted business‑attraction efforts were estimated at $2 million to $3.5 million annually for a robust campaign, the director said.
The director noted cooperation with regional partners including Opportunity Florida and Florida’s Great Northwest, ongoing outreach to private investors (including health-care providers and payers such as Florida Blue) and municipal contributions; he said some smaller municipalities had opted to request waivers from contributions but that overall private investment pledges and municipal support were expected to be similar to last year.
(Attribution: remarks by the county economic development director to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.)
