Kershaw County Council Approves Engineering and Permitting for Central SC MegaSite

February 28, 2019

Media Contact 803.425.1500
Lauren Branham Reeder
Public Information Officer, Kershaw County
Lauren.reeder@kershaw.sc.gov

Kershaw County, SC – During a regularly scheduled Kershaw County Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, County Council voted to move forward with plans to enhance the competitiveness of The Central SC MegaSite.

In a 6 to 1 vote, approval was given to initiate the engineering and permitting on a 100-acre section of the northern portion of the megasite; a parcel frequently presented for consideration by large industrial prospects. The engineering studies and permits completed are valid for five years and are usable by any industry that locates on the site. This will provide a quicker start-up for a company and will be a significant advantage for Kershaw County over communities with megasites that have not already taken these steps.

“By saving a company many months in their construction process we are showing prospective industries that we are a county that is forward-thinking and business-minded,” stated Kershaw County Chairman Julian Burns.

This recommendation came after Kershaw County hosted an Economic Development Summit in January 2019 and after discussions with The South Carolina Department of Commerce on how to aggressively enhance the marketability of The Central SC MegaSite.

Moving forward, engineering and permitting of the 100-acre site will include:

Topographical and Subsurface Geotechnical Surveys
Engineering Plans for Site Grading and Construction Access Roadways
Preparation and submittal of permit applications for site grading, storm drainage and erosion as well as sediment control from SC DHEC, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Kershaw County

These studies and permits will cost approximately $1.13 million and would be paid via the economic development bonds approved by County Council in 2015 to improve Kershaw County’s industrial product. To date, approximately $3.5 million of the $17 million has been spent on improvement projects such as the land clearing at Heritage Pointe and Governor’s Hill Industrial Parks, completion of the Heritage Pointe Spec Building, road extension within Steeplechase Industrial Park as well as studies for the Black River Road Expansion Project, and engineering and permitting for the entrance and interior road of Governor’s Hill Industrial Park.

“We have completed many of the projects identified within our 2015 economic development improvement bonds,” said Chairman Burns. “County Council’s vote to move forward with plans to enhance the competiveness of the MegaSite is another feather in our cap for Kershaw County and our community’s future.”

As part of the vote, County Council has placed contingencies to the approved motion. An option, that is agreeable to Kershaw County, must be signed on the megasite before proceeding. Engineering and permitting work will commence when the renewal of the land option is completed.

Additional contingencies state the total cost of the engineering studies and permitting must not exceed $1.13 million with the net portion of the County’s cost to not exceed $800,000.

###