Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ashe County OKs $4.13 million project ordinance and $3.96 million contract for industrial-park shell building
Summary
The Ashe County Board of Commissioners approved updating the project ordinance to $4,128,918 and authorized staff to contract with NOI Construction not to exceed $3,963,418 to build a 15,000-square-foot expandable shell building at the county industrial park.
Ashe County commissioners voted to update the project ordinance for a new industrial-park shell building to $4,128,918 and authorized staff to enter into a construction contract with the lowest responsive bidder, NOI Construction, not to exceed $3,963,418.
County staff described the project as a 15,000-square-foot shell building — the exterior structure, utilities, landscaping and parking — that could be expanded to 30,000 square feet and left unfitted inside so a future tenant could finish interior work. "This is a 15,000 square foot shell building," the presenter said during the public hearing.
The presenter told commissioners the total project figure includes construction plus administrative and engineering costs needed for grant reporting. He said "the total project number of it being that $4,100,000," and later specified the ordinance increase to "$4,128,918 for the shell building project." The presenter also said staff had solicited bids and that NOI Construction was the only responsive bidder.
Commissioners pressed staff on procurement and fiscal oversight. One commissioner said he had reservations about "tying up almost" the county's funds for a project that might take years to return tax benefits and urged that the county's chief financial officer attend future financial deliberations. The presenter acknowledged that finance staff and state partners had prepared supporting figures and that more detailed workforce and financial data could be provided to the board.
On funding, staff said about $2.5 million of the project would come from a Golden Leaf allocation, roughly $870,000 from previously appropriated local/reserve funds, and the remainder from county capital reserves and a $525,000 general-fund appropriation; staff explained the larger Golden Leaf figure includes administrative and prior-work costs required for grant reporting.
The board approved the ordinance update and the contract authorization by voice vote. The motions were moved and seconded on the record and carried without recorded dissent.
Next steps: staff will finalize contract documents with NOI Construction and return an executed contract and any additional budget detail to the board as required by county procurement and grant reporting rules.
