Lexington County is setting aside $8 million to buy and outfit a center for computer and technology firms in the Chapin area.
The plan would open the third county-developed industrial area in the past decade.
County Council is looking at the purchase of up to 250 acres near the northwest corner of I-26 and S.C. 48 (Columbia Avenue locally) by spring.
No rush
Lexington County Council may go no farther than its staff for a new top aide.
A search for administrator candidates – if it occurs – won’t start before late spring, council chairman Bill Banning said.
That means deputy administrator Joe Mergo will oversee daily operation of the 1,300-member county staff indefinitely. “Right now, we’ll let him run the ship,” Banning said. If Mergo proves up to the challenge, naming him to the post for keeps is “very possible,” Banning said.
Banning is the new leader of the nine-member council, with Johnny Jeffcoat chosen vice-chairman.
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The go-ahead awaits a review assuring “there aren’t any hidden surprises” such as significantly unusable wetlands or rare species of wildlife, council chairman Bill Banning said.
“We want to make sure it’s the right fit,” councilman Johnny Jeffcoat said.
Development of the center is an idea encouraged by regional groups to set the stage to attract more jobs to the Midlands.
The idea is moving ahead after the county’s success in developing a center of manufacturers and distributors in the Cayce area near I-26 and I-77. Firms moving there, including online retailer Amazon and Nephron Pharmaceuticals, are bringing in 2,700 jobs with a pay-off in property and payroll taxes expected to quickly exceed the $13 million cost of getting the site ready.
County leaders already are approaching prospects about coming to the Chapin site, likely to be ready to use in three years after roads and utilities are installed.
“We want to keep things rolling,” Banning said.
Officials won’t disclose the site chosen until they decide to proceed with buying it from what they say are a half-dozen landowners.
Buying the land will cost about $5 million and getting it in shape, about $3 million, Banning said.
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