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Catawba County accepts $477,800 SelectSite due-diligence grant for Claremont International Rail Park
Summary
The Board accepted a $477,800 due-diligence grant from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina for engineering, environmental and permitting work at the Claremont International Rail Park, and authorized execution of the grant agreement.
Catawba County commissioners on May 5 accepted a $477,800 due-diligence grant under the SelectSite Readiness Program to advance planning and permitting for the Claremont International Rail Park (CIRP).
County staff described the 187-acre assemblage branded for industrial development and noted over 150 acres will be under public control after pending acquisitions. The awarded grant will fund water and wastewater design and permitting, road design and permitting, Phase I environmental assessments, wetlands determinations, boundary and annexation mapping, geotechnical investigations and topographic studies, among other site due-diligence tasks.
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) notified the county in June 2024 that CIRP was selected among 15 sites eligible for SRP funding. The grant agreement dated April 14, 2025, names EDPNC as grantor and sets a 24-month grant term. Approved activities in Exhibit B of the agreement list $107,000 for water/wastewater, $304,500 for road/highway assessments, and $66,300 for other site due-diligence items.
County Manager Mary S. Furtado and Utilities & Engineering Director Pete Shonka said accepting and executing the grant agreement allows the county to begin reimbursable work and advance infrastructure planning that staff said increases the site's marketability for major manufacturing projects.
The Board accepted the funds and authorized the County Manager to execute the grant agreement; the acceptance was recorded on the consent agenda.
