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County economic development cites business wins, SelectUSA leads and upcoming Navy noise‑contour review
Summary
County economic development briefed the commission on FY27 SEDS funding and RFP plans, announced Platform’s local expansion and a $1.5 million MAXXPR site investment, reported 24 leads from SelectUSA and described a pending Navy release of updated AQs and noise contours with an Aug. 4 public open house.
A county economic development representative told the Economic Development Commission that the FY27 budget includes funds to begin an update or replacement of the county’s Strategic Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) and that staff will issue and circulate an RFP for that work.
Staff reported business‑retention and investment news: Platform is expanding into roughly an additional 80,000 square feet at Lexington Exchange (Saint John's development), a move expected to support roughly 200 jobs; MAXXPR (operating under local owners) is investing more than $1.5 million to redevelop a former Burger King site in Great Mills and anticipates creating 30–35 jobs with county permitting and façade incentives.
Kelly, representing economic development outreach work, said staff attended the SelectUSA summit and generated 24 leads and six qualified prospects in aviation technology and defense, and that a foreign liaison officer contact yielded at least one converted visit from a Canadian firm. Kelly also described proposed recommendations for Opportunity Zones redesignation and said the department would send two of four eligible county census tracts to the governor for consideration, noting deadline constraints and planning considerations for tracts that overlap APZ/noise contours.
On the Pax River noise contours and Accident Potential Zones (AQs), staff said the Navy intends to release a combined AQ/noise document and that the county expects to review it; the Navy will host a public open house on August 4 at Frank Knott School (around 4:30–6:30 p.m.) and attendees will need a real ID to enter. Staff cautioned that county adoption of any Navy guidance would require parcel‑level identification, notification and a public hearing process.
No formal county vote occurred on the program updates; commissioners asked follow‑up questions about transportation links and how housing and transit planning intersect with economic development efforts.
