Washington’s City Council wants more information before it decides whether to support a grant application that would be used to put new businesses in a former shirt factory.

During its March 28 meeting, the council tabled acting on the grant issue after hearing the Rev. David Moore, head of Metropolitan Housing & Community Development Corp., and Martyn Johnson, Beaufort County’s economic developer, discuss the plan to bring new businesses and expand existing businesses at the now-closed Samsons shirt factory on Brown Street. Moore told the council that if the $500,000 grant (maximum) were awarded, it would help create full-time jobs. Johnson told the council the city’s “match,” if the grant is awarded and accepted, would be $25,000.

“We’ve got a building re-use grant that we’re hoping the city will sign off on and allow us to look at the creation of about 60 jobs in what was the old shirt factory,” Moore said. “The (state) Department of Commerce is offering these grants, especially to cities, counties, municipalities that are in Tier 1 or Tier 2 (status) and have vacant buildings they can’t figure out what to do (with them).”

Moore did not specify what types of businesses could occupy the former shirt factory. Moore said there is a need for jobs in the area.  “I think this would be a golden opportunity for us to put something together for the city that would allow our residents to be able to at least have a shot at employment,” he said.

Moore said he needs the city’s endorsement to proceed to the next stage of the grant process.

Johnson explained the grant provides $12,500 for each job expected to be created. Those jobs, according to the grant conditions, must be full-time positions for at least six months, and employers would pay 50 percent of health insurance for their workers. Johnson also said the city’s $25,000 match could be provided by an outside source, such as one of the businesses that would locate in the former shirt factory.

The project, if the grant is awarded, must be completed within 18 months, Johnson said.

Council members expressed concerns with the city being liable for reimbursing the state if the grant conditions concerning job creation are not met. In recent years, the city has required the entity benefitting from the grant to pay any “clawback” payments instead of the city being on the hook for such reimbursement. Johnson said that could be accomplished by the city and the entity having contract that would keep the city from being liable for a clawback.