Golden LEAF launches second round of SITE Program, hosts informational webinar January 31st | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Golden LEAF has launched a second round of funding for the SITE Program. Information and applications are available on the website at www.goldenleaf.org/SITE.

    Applications are due March 10 at noon for consideration by the Golden LEAF Board of Directors at the June 2022 meeting. An informational webinar will be held on January 31st at 1 p.m. Click here to register.

    "During the strategic planning process, the Golden LEAF Board identified gaps in available funding to support site development necessary to attract businesses, especially to rural and economically distressed areas," said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. "In response to these findings, the SITE Program was designed to support the identification, preparation, and development of sites to attract quality jobs to these communities."

    Golden LEAF budgeted $10 million for the program this fiscal year to be awarded in two rounds. Golden LEAF awarded approximately $5 million in the first round and reserved approximately $5 million for funding in this round to be awarded in June.

    The SITE Program will help communities identify potential industrial sites for economic development, complete the due diligence necessary to prepare sites for industrial development, and extend public utilities to or conduct rough grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed.

    Golden LEAF created the SITE Program with a three-phased approach:

• SITE Program - Identification support to identify potential industrial sites in communities that do not currently have quality industrial sites to market.
• SITE Program - Due diligence funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archeological analyses, and mapping.
• SITE Program - Development funding for public infrastructure and, for publicly owned sites, clearing and rough grading, to benefit sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for development.

    Communities will be able to begin the process at any of the three phases, and a site may progress from identification through to development over time.