Designation expedites development for new and expanding businesses
RALEIGH, N.C. — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., has designated a 55.5-acre Smart Site in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The designation guarantees that the prime industrial site has met stringent requirements and is shovel-ready for new development.
“Smart Sites designation takes the guesswork out of an industrial site,” said Carl Rees, ElectriCities Manager of Economic and Community Development. “During the certification process, we perform exhaustive due diligence, including environmental reviews, geotechnical reviews, preliminary infrastructure studies, and facility siting studies, readying the site for industrial permitting at local, state, and federal levels.”
Located on Thomas A. Betts Parkway near Peele Road and Boseman Road, the new Rocky Mount Smart Site is approximately:
- 5 miles from Interstate 95
- 3 miles from U.S. 301
- 3 miles from the Carolina Connector Intermodal Rail Terminal
The City of Rocky Mount supplies the site’s utility services, including electricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater.
“We knew this site had great potential when the city acquired it in December 2020,” said Rocky Mount Interim City Manager Peter Varney. “Adding the Smart Sites designation makes it even more appealing to private investors who develop shell buildings that would attract manufacturing or distribution companies to our community.”
ElectriCities created the Smart Sites program in 2014 to help its public power member communities—cities and towns that own and operate their electric systems—prepare shovel-ready sites for economic development. Potential sites must meet specific requirements and undergo an extensive review process by site selection experts. Each site must have municipal electric service, have water and sewer access within 500 feet, and be within 5 miles of an interstate or interstate-quality highway. ElectriCities markets Smart Sites at trade shows and industry events around the world to get the word out about prime development sites in North Carolina public power communities.
“ElectriCities Smart Sites are a smart choice for businesses ready to grow now,” Rees said. “Shovel-ready for development means faster construction and less risk, and Smart Sites’ locations in North Carolina’s public power cities and towns provide benefits beyond our state’s top-rated business climate.”
Since public power communities own their electric system, they maintain local control and decision making over their operations, providing unbeaten reliability, local jobs, and support for their local economy. That local control also means public power communities have more resources and agility when negotiating with prospective businesses.
The safety and reliability of the City of Rocky Mount’s electric service has been recognized at the state and national levels. The American Public Power Association designated Rocky Mount Public Utilities a Diamond-Level Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3), and the City recently received four ElectriCities 2021 Public Power Awards of Excellence.
To learn more about Rocky Mount’s new Smart Site, contact Oppie Jordan at 252-442-6224 or ElectriCities at sites@electricities.org.
ElectriCities Smart Sites are located in public power communities across North Carolina. See the complete list of Smart Sites on the ElectriCities website. To learn more about the Smart Sites program or economic development in public power communities in North Carolina, contact Carl Rees at crees@electricities.org or visit http://www.electricities.com/EconDev.
