Beaufort County government will move forward with a partnership to build an industry-ready building in the city-county industrial park.

At the Feb. 6 meeting of the county’s Board of Commissioners, commissioners voted to partner with the economic development organization Committee of 100 to attract business to the area — a tough prospect when there are few move-in-ready buildings in the area, according to Beaufort County Economic Development Director Martyn Johnson.

The plan includes construction of a 22,500-square-foot shell building, capable of expansion to 90,000 square feet, facing Page Road on Site No. 2 in the industrial park.

“I’ve been sending out a lot of plans like this to companies that basically, I say, ‘You know, come here, and look what we might be able to build for you.’ Without it being built, there is actually, this is what we have: there’s been no testing of the land; there’s permits from the city and others that would need to be received. So in terms of construction costs, companies see, ‘Hey, that’s probably going to take me about six months.’ And they perceive that as risk,” Johnson said.

County commissioners voted to purchase the city’s 45-percent interest in the site, contribute the site (worth $38,549) to Committee of 100 and reimburse the organization for interest, legal, marketing and maintenance costs — a total contribution for the county of $116,202. Committee of 100 will provide $200,000 and financing for the $1 million building. In exchange for the county’s investment, the county will receive 11.62 percent of the sale price or rental income.

“We have heard and observed for so long that our economic development director is going to market with nothing to sell,” said Committee of 100 Chairman Jim Chesnutt. “We don’t have space in this county. A couple pieces that are minimal at best and not very attractive.”

Chesnutt pointed out that the sole point of the Committee of 100 was to create jobs and a larger tax base, and the partnership proposal was the outcome of brainstorming about how to make that happen.

The majority of commissioners agreed.

“I’m going to vote against this as a matter of principal. The county shouldn’t be out getting into the business using the taxpayers’ money,” Richardson said, but added that the partnership was a decent deal because of the county’s lack of liability in the project and applauded Committee of 100 efforts to limit the county’s investment.

“It appears to me that we have found a partnership that looks like will work with the commissioners and with the Committee of 100, and I would like you to think in the long term — that this agreement that you’ve drawn up is a template for the next one,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Frankie Waters.

“You instruct your lawyer; we’ll instruct ours. I agree,” Chesnutt replied.

A public hearing regarding the investment of the county’s economic development funds in the project will be held at a later date.