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Council approves application for $500,000 state building‑reuse grant to attract drone firm
Summary
Council approved authorizing staff to pursue a $500,000 North Carolina Commerce building‑reuse grant and a related city job‑creation grant previously approved for 162 jobs. Staff said the developer will invest about $2.5 million to rehab a vacant Black & Decker building.
Council considered a staff report and discussion about a proposed building‑reuse incentive package to attract an international drone manufacturer’s U.S. subsidiary. Economic development staff (Mister Van Genn, S19) said the state of North Carolina offered a $500,000 Commerce building‑reuse grant; the city previously approved a job‑creation grant of $121,500 tied to 162 jobs averaging about $70,000 annually.
"The funds — the company has to invest more than double the grant amount into renovating a long vacant industrial building in the community," Van Genn said, describing a roughly $2.5 million investment in the Black & Decker Complex (S19). Councilmember McMillan (S10) raised transparency and timing concerns about the consent‑agenda placement and the use of a code name during earlier work sessions. A motion to reject the resolution failed for lack of a second; the council later approved the application/authorizing motion 9–1.
The city manager and economic development staff said the incentive is tied to job creation, required private investment in the facility and clawback provisions; staff also noted the state and city would follow notice and public‑hearing legal requirements for incentives.
