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Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the Boards can discuss issues <br />related to these items as necessary. <br />No Attachments <br />b) Town Appreciation for Loans to Hillsborough Local Businesses <br />This agenda item provides the opportunity for any additional discussion on the County's Small <br />Business Loan Program as it relates to Hillsborough and to provide the opportunity for Town of <br />Hillsborough officials to share comments regarding the Program's impact to the Town. <br />The Boards can discuss issues related to this item as necessary. <br />No Attachments <br />c) Potential Business Incubator Space Downtown <br />Orange County is committed to finding ways to support individuals involved in entrepreneurial <br />start-ups, and to retain those knowledge -based firms. For example, a portion of the new <br />quarter cent sales tax proceeds for economic development is earmarked for incubator support. <br />However, too often, entrepreneurial start-ups such as those that emerge out of the University of <br />North Carolina (UNC) eventually relocate to the Research Triangle Park area. On November <br />30, 2011, Orange County Economic Development staff spent the day with Hillsborough <br />Commissioner Eric Hallman, visited the very successful "Durham Underground" incubator at the <br />American Tobacco campus in Durham, and met with the Council for Entrepreneurial <br />Development (CED). The purpose was to begin discussing ideas regarding how Orange <br />County can form its own innovation center. <br />Part of Orange County's research into incubators has included a dialog with a respected UNC <br />department chair who has conducted an analysis of the area's real estate market and <br />suggested an incubator development strategy. While the UNC report includes <br />recommendations on the use of existing County -owned buildings to house innovation centers, <br />and specifically in Chapel Hill, Orange County has not developed nor endorsed a <br />recommendation at this time which proposes use of any specific County -owned buildings. <br />County staff is currently discussing how to financially assist individual incubator start-up tenants <br />rather than propose any ownership or specific County -owned and operated building which could <br />house an innovation center. County Economic Development staff certainly looks forward to <br />further talks with Town Commissioner Hallman and others who can help Orange County <br />visualize a strategy that can lead to a Hillsborough -based innovation center. <br />Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the Boards can discuss issues <br />related to this item as necessary. <br />No Attachments <br />d) Request for Proposals (RFP) for Train Station Property Transit - Oriented <br />Development <br />The Town of Hillsborough owns a 20 -acre tract of land located just south of downtown that is <br />adjacent to the rail line. It is best known for being the location of the Collins Fields that are used <br />