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Paragon Films rail spur project closed out after CDBG-funded build; county hears no public comment
Summary
At a May 18 Alexander County commissioners meeting, Kyle Case of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments reported that a CDBG-funded rail spur serving Paragon Films was completed (763 linear feet) with $48,688 expended; Paragon exceeded its job commitment (reported 19 jobs vs. 14 required). The board opened and closed a public hearing with no speakers and approved the project closeout.
Kyle Case, community economic development manager with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, told the Alexander County Board of Commissioners on May 18 that a Community Development Block Grant-funded rail spur to serve Paragon Films at the Alexander County Industrial Park has completed its closeout requirements.
Case said the project built 763 linear feet of rail spur and that $48,688 was expended on the project. He reported that CDBG funds provided 54.41% of the total expenditures and that North Carolina Railroad Company provided the remainder. Paragon Films had committed to creating 14 jobs as part of the grant; Case said the company ultimately reported creating 19 jobs, including 11 positions filled by low- and moderate-income households, satisfying the program's LMI job requirement.
The board opened a public hearing as required for CDBG closeout and invited public comment; no one spoke. Following the public hearing, the board voted to approve closure of the Paragon Films CDBG rail infrastructure project.
The closeout presentation and the motions to open and close the hearing, and to approve the closure, were recorded on the meeting record. County staff noted that the project was originally funded in January 2024 and the rail spur was constructed and completed the prior summer; additional time was granted to Paragon for hiring and the firm met the agreed job targets, Case said.
The board did not receive substantive public comment on the project during the hearing. The approval closes the county's formal obligation for this CDBG-funded rail spur closeout; the county manager and COG staff indicated they are continuing coordination with Alexander County staff on other industrial park projects.
