A megasite is a large parcel of land, typically 1,000 acres or more, developed by government entities or private developers that is prepared to be shovel-ready for large-scale industrial projects.

Megasite development is crucial in the creation of jobs that earn living wages.  Megasite development can also create a significant amount of capital investment in an area which can transform the local economy.  

The Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, which is located in Randolph and  Guilford County, consists of approximately 1,800 acres.  It is home to Toyota’s first North American electric battery plant, which is an approximate $13.5 billion investment that will create over 5,000 jobs.

The Megasite will be located north of Greenville and west of Highway 11. Adjacent roads around the Pitt County Megasite include Saintsville Road, Allpine Taylor Road, and Briley Road.

The portion of property slated to be the Pitt County Megasite will be approximately 3,300 acres. The entire property owned by Weyerhaeuser is approximately 10,000 acres.

Selection of the Pitt County Megasite was done through a competitive process wherein sites from around the state were submitted to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) for consideration.  EDPNC is a public-private organization established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2014 to promote business and industry growth within the state.  A total of 30 potential sites were submitted to EDPNC for consideration.  Of the 30 submitted, EDPNC selected 7 sites for future megasite development.  The Pitt County site was selected as one of the 7.

The Pitt County Megasite exhibited many site strengths which made it attractive for future megasite development.  The strengths identified by EDPNC included the following:

o   One single property owner

o   Well-maintained property

o   Large acreage

o   Easy access to a 4-lane road and interstate

o   Easy access to water, sewer, natural gas, electric and telecom services

o   Regional airport nearby

In addition to Pitt County, the remaining megasites proposed by EDPNC are located in Brunswick County, Cumberland County, Edgecombe County, Nash County, Rowan County and Wilson County.

The Pitt County Megasite property is currently owned by Weyerhaeuser. Historically, the megasite property has been utilized by Weyerhaeuser to grow and harvest timber for its pulp business.  The Pitt County Megasite project will require Weyerhaeuser to be under contract to sell or sell the property before available funds to conduct due diligence and site preparation can be pursued.

The Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance (Greenville ENC Alliance), a non-profit economic development organization, in conjunction with other partnerships, including the City, County and Greenville Utilities, will oversee the process for development of the Pitt County Megasite.

At this time, the specific types of industries are unknown. However, the Greenville ENC Alliance’s current industry priorities consist of advanced manufacturing, life sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices and supplies, food and agriculture and logistics and distribution.

It is normally a 5-to-15-year process from the time a megasite is identified through development and realization of a project.  Next steps, over the next 6 months, include:

o   The City authorizing Greenville Utilities to extend sewer to the property.

o   Pitt County authorizing the rezoning of the Pitt County Megasite to General Industrial.

o   Pitt County/Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance securing an option to purchase the Pitt County Megasite.

o   Submission of an application to EDPNC for consideration of funds to conduct due diligence.

The Pitt County Megasite has historically been utilized by Weyerhaeuser to harvest timber for its pulp business. During the due diligence process, appropriate measures will be used to evaluate for any potential impacts to existing environmental conditions.

The City of Greenville will seek approval from City Council to allow Greenville Utilities to extend sewer to the Pitt County Megasite. This is also the same process and approval that was used to provide sewer to the current Indigreen Corporate Park.

The Pitt County Megasite is currently located in Pitt County’s jurisdiction. The Pitt County Megasite will be considered for rezoning rezoned and developed under the County’s development standards.

NCDOT will plan design and construction of the new transportation infrastructure for access to the Pitt County Megasite.

A new interchange and 4-lane access road is proposed to connect from Highway 11 to the Pitt County Megasite. There may be a need for additional transportation infrastructure after a transportation assessment is conducted.

The estimated costs for due diligence and the design and buildout of infrastructure, including, roads, water, and wastewater are approximately $451,000,000.

Additionally, the costs for design and construction of utility services, including electric and natural gas is approximately $102 million (natural gas - $29.5 million; and electric - $72 million).

To date, the County nor the City have expended any funding on development of the Pitt County Megasite. 

The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated funding for an established Megasite Readiness Program intended to support local governments and partnerships efforts to analyze, plan, install and upgrade public infrastructure for megasites.  The Greenville ENC Alliance will pursue funding from the State of North Carolina to conduct due diligence and site preparation on the Pitt County Megasite.

There is $10 million in State grant funding available for site due diligence and $97.8 million in State grant funding available for site development.  Funding is on a first come, first serve basis until funding is exhausted.

The Pitt County Megasite must be zoned for economic development and be owned or under contract  for purchase by the grant applicant.

Due diligence will involve conducting a comprehensive site analysis and review to produce reports, such as, preliminary engineering, assessments related to transportation infrastructure, phase I and phase II environmental assessments, wetland and stream determination, and threatened and endangered species.

Site preparation may include but not be limited to clearing and/or grading of the site.

Pitt County conducts a county-wide property revaluation every 4 years. Any potential impacts to taxes, including decreases, are unquantifiable and may not be a direct result of the Pitt County Megasite.

Preliminary discussions for an example development plan include the provision of a 500-foot buffer from existing residential and an additional conservation overlay of at least 100 feet.

The Pitt County Megasite will provide a significant economic impact, including the benefit of increased jobs, expanded housing development, expansion of commercial and retail services, and tax revenues (property and sales tax).

The economic impact is not quantifiable at this time. However, as an example, the build out of a project with a $5 billion investment and average wages of $85,000 could result in the following:

o   Annual direct payroll of $170 million

o   Direct income tax revenue of $8.9 million

o   Annual tax revenues of $20.9 million (property and business and personal).

The total acreage for the property, currently owned by Weyerhaeuser, is 10,000 acres. The Pitt County Megasite will consist of approximately 3,300 acres. The taking of other privately owned property or relocation of community members is not anticipated.

Initially, the City and County are hosting four public information sessions to provide initial information about the Pitt County Megasite project:

- Monday, March 31, 6:00 p.m.:  Pitt County Agricultural Center, 403 Government Circle, Greenville

- Thursday, April 3, 6:00 p.m.:   Ayden Middle School, 192 West Third Street, Ayden

- Tuesday, April 8, 6:00 p.m.:  Wellcome Middle School, 3101 North Memorial Drive, Greenville

- Thursday, April 17, 6:00 p.m.:  Virtual (ZOOM)

If members of the community have any questions, they can call 252-329-4131.  Also, there is a dedicated project website that can be viewed at the following web address:

https://www.greenvillenc.gov/government/city-council/proposed-future-megasite-industrial-park