Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cleveland County approves incentives and grant support for "Project Crystal" expansion
Summary
The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved two resolutions to back an expansion by "Project Crystal," a manufacturer proposing 13 jobs, an average wage of $60,769, and $22.5 million in real-property investment; the county also agreed to serve as local applicant for a Building Reuse Grant up to $100,000 with a 5% match.
The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved two resolutions to support an expansion by a local manufacturer identified in the meeting as "Project Crystal." The board authorized a multiyear local incentive and agreed to back a state building reuse grant that could provide up to $100,000 for the project.
Courtney Ashley, the county development director, told commissioners that Project Crystal ‘‘represents a major manufacturing employer’’ already in Cleveland County and is considering an expansion in Shelby. ‘‘They are looking to add 13 new jobs, with an average wage of $60,769,’’ Ashley said, adding that the company’s reported average wage is about $12,000 higher than the county average. She said the company plans approximately $22,500,000 in real-property investment over three years.
Ashley recommended two supports: a local incentive grant structured over three years and county participation as the local government applicant for the North Carolina Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division’s Building Reuse Grant. ‘‘The rural division has granted Project Crystal up to $100,000 for this project,’’ Ashley said, and she noted the grant requires a 5% local match that the county will satisfy through grant-management services.
The board voted to approve a resolution authorizing the economic development incentive and then approved a separate resolution to support the county’s role in the Building Reuse Grant application. Both votes were recorded as unanimous.
The resolutions do not specify detailed contract terms in the public record presented at the meeting; Ashley described the incentive as ‘‘a local incentive grant for 3 years’’ and referenced a 20% calculation tied to a 0.5475 tax-rate basis. The board gave no extended debate and there were no public speakers during the hearing.
Next steps identified at the meeting: staff will process the county’s participation in the grant application and finalize incentive documents consistent with the approved resolutions. No dates, final incentive dollar amounts beyond the grant cap, or signed agreements were announced at the meeting.
