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JDA updates commissioners on North River site, Coastal Georgia Commerce Park and major prospect pipeline
Summary
James Coughlin, executive director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority, told commissioners the JDA now controls parts of the former Gilman mill site (North River), has an $8.6 million outstanding debt there, plans a conservation easement to cover some payments, and described funding and prospect leads for a new Coastal Georgia Commerce Park.
James Coughlin, executive director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority, delivered the JDAs quarterly update at the June 16 commission meeting, summarizing site control, financing, and a slate of prospective industrial projects.
"The mission of the Camden County Joint Development Authority is to promote and stimulate economic development in Camden County," Coughlin said, and reviewed efforts to repurpose the former Gilman mill property (now called the North River site). He told commissioners the JDA took possession of the property on Jan. 13, excluding landfills and salt marsh that retain developer liability after foreclosure and bankruptcy. The outstanding debt on the site is about $8,600,000; Coughlin said a conservation easement should yield roughly $2.5 million toward required payments and that additional parcel sales will fund the remainder.
Coughlin also outlined the Coastal Georgia Commerce Park, a 1,400-acre site with the first 150 acres under JDA control. He described the funding strategy: a $2 million Georgia Rural Site Development Initiative (RSDI) grant targeted to the access road, a $1 million federal seed grant applied to water and sewer, SPLOST 9 contributions of $3 million paid over six years, and a JDA bond for land and remaining infrastructure. He listed four active prospect code-names with rough job and capital-investment figures: Project Cobra (150 jobs, $65 million CapEx), Project Grace (110 jobs, $12 million), Project East (300 jobs, $300 million) and Project Storehouse (700 jobs, $1.325 billion). Coughlin said the JDA has made initial cuts on some prospects and will return to the commission for required approvals if projects advance.
Why it matters: The JDAs land control and financing plan for North River -- plus the Commerce Park infrastructure funding and a large prospect pipeline -- could generate significant jobs and tax base growth for Camden County, while carrying repayment obligations and environmental/cleanup considerations tied to the former developers liabilities.
Commissioners asked about use of SPLOST funds and how TAD revenues would be applied to sports-park costs; Coughlin emphasized legal restrictions on grant uses and the need for private investment to create TAD increment revenue.
