Caldwell County approves purchase of Lower Cedar Valley site for industrial development

The Caldwell County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 27 to purchase a 15.562-acre parcel on Lower Cedar Valley Road for $525,000, a move county staff said is intended to create ready-to-build inventory for future industrial projects.

EDC Director Ashley Bolic told the board the county is seeking $545,000 from the Sales Tax Reinvestment Fund to cover acquisition plus required due diligence — soil testing, environmental work and closing costs — after negotiating a $525,000 purchase price. "That original request was for $552,000 expenditure and now we're at $545,000 expenditure," Bolic said during her presentation.

The Sales Tax Reinvestment Fund is a county savings vehicle for economic development supported by municipal partners; Bolic said participating municipalities collectively contribute $600,000 annually. Staff described product development as creating or improving sites and buildings so the county can compete for manufacturing and distribution projects that, statewide in 2025, typically required spaces under 100,000 square feet and yielded median job and investment figures far above local norms.

With no public speakers at the hearing, Commissioner Starns moved to purchase the property and the motion carried unanimously. The board placed the item on consent during the agenda amendment and approved the consent agenda later in the meeting.

County documents presented to the board showed the requested $545,000 would cover the negotiated acquisition ($525,000) plus site survey, soil compaction testing and closing costs. Bolic said staff had completed required due diligence and reduced the earlier, larger funding ask after refining cost estimates.

The decision creates county-owned industrial land in the Sawmills town jurisdiction and is intended to increase the county’s competitiveness when state-level recruiters and expanding manufacturers look for ready sites and small-to-medium buildings.

Next steps noted by staff include finalizing the closing and proceeding with site-preparation work and marketing the property to prospective employers. The board did not identify any local taxpayer-funded debt to complete the purchase; staff said the request would be paid from the county’s Sales Tax Reinvestment Fund and related project reserves.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and are recorded as Ashley Bolic (EDC director) and Commissioner Starns.