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3 <br /> • Sources of project leads are becoming more diverse and include Duke Energy, national <br /> developers and industrial realtors, large law firms, and the State of N. C.'s new privatized <br /> recruiting agency called the "Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina". <br /> • Typical projects, to include several actual clients making return visits, have included food <br /> production, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, distribution, and packaging and construction <br /> materials. Potential capital investments with some projects exceed $100 million and 400 <br /> — 500 projected jobs. Several recent distribution inquiries have ranged in size from <br /> 300,000 sq. ft. to 850,000 sq. ft. in a campus setting. <br /> • Retail interests are increasing, such as the new Dollar General store along U.S. 70 <br /> Business & Frazier Road near Efland, and inquires by a prospective car dealership. <br /> • Emerging advantages of sites in the Buckhorn area include: <br /> ➢ Steady growth of Article 46-funded utility infrastructure to more properties, <br /> ➢ More land owners are beginning to think positively about selling their land, <br /> ➢ Increasing familiarity & acceptance by site selection consultants to include Orange <br /> County in their industrial site searches. <br /> ➢ Morinaga's new factory adds significant credibility to the region to attract growth <br /> • Challenges include the following observations: <br /> ➢ Some attractive industrial projects with significant capital investment and new <br /> employment can require more water & sewer than our sites are prepared to <br /> supply. <br /> ➢ Wide variance in some private land owners' expectation of a sale prices per acre, <br /> ranging from $40,000 to almost $100,000 per acre. Some owners do not want to <br /> sell. <br /> ➢ Current lack of road access into the County's rail-served industrial corridor located <br /> along the interstate & U.S.70 Business, between Buckhorn Road & Mt. Willing <br /> Road. <br /> ➢ Significant competition by Alamance County's nearby industrial parks in Mebane & <br /> Graham (600-acre North Carolina Industrial Park, and the new 1,200-acre <br /> Hawfield Industrial Park) located just 2 — 3 miles west of the Orange County sites. <br /> ➢ Some site areas are compromised in size and development potential due to <br /> streams, major utility easements and roads, and existing housing. <br /> • See attached site maps: <br /> ➢ Buckhorn Economic Development District, Commercial-Industrial Transition, <br /> Mebane ETJ & City Limits <br /> ➢ Oakwood Business Center <br /> ➢ Rohl Site along West Ten Road <br /> ➢ Wilson Road site beside Morinaga America Foods <br /> ➢ Buckhorn Economic Development District rail-served sites <br /> Morinaga America Foods, Inc. <br /> • Grand Opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 9:00 — 11:00 AM. <br /> • Chairman Gota Morinaga will visit from head office in Japan. Participation by Governor <br /> Pat McCrory has not yet been confirmed. Approximately 200 guests will be invited. No <br /> factory tour is planned due to the proprietary nature of unique machinery & production <br />