Name | Mega SITE | |
Gender | Male | |
HIST | 'Mega Site' almost shovel-ready This aerial view of the land identifies the boundaries of the I-95 Mega Site in Clarendon County. COURTESY OF SUMTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Posted Sunday, June 12, 2016 6:00 am SCHWEDLER BY RICK CARPENTER RICK@THEITEM.COM When Volvo searched for a location to build its first American plant last year, economic development organizations across the state scurried to raise their hands yelling "pick me, pick me." Volvo picked a Berkeley County location because it met the criteria that could pull all of the pieces together to get the plant operating within three years. A team of local economic development organizations representing Sumter, Clarendon, Lee and Williamsburg counties has pooled resources to prepare the 1,417-acre I-95 Mega Site by performing all due diligence work, including environmental impact studies and securing infrastructure to build out the site. An industry built on the site will likely need to pull employment from those four counties. In a 2009 analysis from Wilbur Smith Associates about the feasibility of South Carolina mega sites, a "mega site" is defined as one that can include the development of a minimum of 1,000 acres and has access to critical infrastructure and a skilled workforce that major industrial users require. The infrastructure portion of the requirements does not mean that roads, utilities and possible rail access are already in place but have been fully evaluated and a concept plan for providing that infrastructure has been prepared, including probable costs. Jay Schwedler, president and CEO of Sumter Economic Development, said the I-95 Mega Site will meet all of those qualifications within the next year with a goal to make the project "shovel ready." Each of the four counties contributed $250,000 to initiate the project, which allowed site developers to leverage that money in the form of a matching grant to secure state and federal funds. During an eight-year period, the coalition secured $2.5 million in matching funds from South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority and South Carolina Department of Commerce. The funds allowed developers to extend water, sewer and roads to the site and to upgrade others that could service the site, which is situated along a 2-mile frontage of Interstate 95 in Clarendon County. Besides clearing hurdles on environmental issues such as wetlands, geothermal, endangered species and cultural impacts, Schwedler said the group has secured water and sewer service from the town of Turbeville. Duke Energy, Santee Electric and Black River cooperatives have agreed to generate whatever level of electrical power a company needs. With those pieces in place, Schwedler said, "it allows us to market the site with 100 percent confidence that we can accommodate any size industrial company at that site." One item remaining on the checklist concerns bringing railroad access to the site, a major component that allows an industry, such as an automobile manufacturer, to quickly move their products inland or to nearby ports. That would require a roughly 10-mile rail spur into the site from existing railroad tracks. Schwedler said by moving ahead with outlining where the spur would run along with gaining access to land to move the tracks to the site, engineers can lay the groundwork of outlining potential road crossings and where they would need to add trestles through wetlands or elevated areas. By completing that railroad piece to the puzzle within a year, Schwedler said the I-95 Mega Site would have an advantage over other locations because it could build out the rail and other components in two years versus four years. He said he's had conversations with Palmetto Railway, which supplies rail service to the Charleston area. Meanwhile, programs such as the mechatronics program at Central Carolina Technical College are preparing an industrial workforce capable of meeting the employment needs of future companies. CCTC offers free tuition to local graduates in the area who meet minimal requirements. With most of the pieces put together, Schwedler said he just needs to find a user. "It's pure rumor that there is an identifiable project for the site," he said. But he gets calls daily from potential clients who want to look at what the area has to offer. By closing the gap from four to two years to make a site operational, the next time a Volvo or other manufacturer looks for a mega site, Schwedler will be able to raise his hand with confidence and not just say, "pick me;" he'll be able to illustrate the advantages of having a "shovel-ready" site. [1] | |
_UID | 22BDAC10DAC14EC5BC2475F3D88D7E219564 | |
Person ID | I308311 | Singleton and other families |
Last Modified | 13 Jun 2016 |
Family | Site MEGA | |
_UID | 4AC7FF22AD394D33A1A3A187B21D3C0716D5 | |
Last Modified | 13 Jun 2016 | |
Family ID | F206589 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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