NC budget funds Anson infrastructure, health projects

WADESBORO — The 2021-2022 state budget will fund several projects in Anson County that will impact the industrial and business prospects of the county, and address disparities in local students’ access to healthcare.

The budget allocates a $1 million grant to the nonprofit Atrium Health, which will split that money evenly between four Anson County elementary schools and six in Forsyth County — $100,000 to each — to fund a “school-based virtual care pilot program to address health disparities in historically underserved areas disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.” Anson and Forsyth were chosen due to both counties having at least 90% of their students eligible for free or reduced lunch, according to the signed bill.

“The pilot program shall utilize telehealth services to facilitate student access to health care services and resources that improve health outcomes through the care coordination efforts of local providers,” reads the bill.

Additionally, the budget allocates $4 million to the Anson Economic Development Corporation (Partnership) to fund water and sewer infrastructure projects which will serve the newly opened Atlantic Gateway Logistics Park east of Lilesville. Specifically, Anson Economic Development Partnership (AnsonEDP) will use these funds for a sewer project at the park, which they expect to allow additional tenants — in addition to Pee Dee Electric Cooperative — to be based there and open more land on the east side of the county for development, according to an AnsonEDP blog post.

With improved infrastructure, the county expects these funds to allow the Park to be better prepared for when the I-73/74 Cordova exit opens in late 2022.

AnsonEDP Executive Director John Marek said that an additional $8 million will be heading the county’s way in the form of a “revolving loan fund” that will support the construction of speculative industrial buildings. This allocation is structured so that the county has to give back any unused money at the end of 10 years, so the county is looking to get the most out of it.

The first such building Anson built is expected to break ground in mid-2022 at the Wadesboro Industrial Park. The 50,000 square foot building with 28-foot ceilings, is designed to attract food and beverage manufacturers, according to AnsonEDP.

“If we manage the construction and marketing properly, we should be able to get three complete buildings from the loan fund,” Marek said. “Plans for the second building are ongoing, but it will most likely be located at Atlantic Gateway and will be a larger building with higher ceilings for warehouse/distribution.”

In a statement, Marek thanked Rep. Mark Brody and Sen. Tom McInnis for their work to secure these funds for Anson in the budget, as well as the AnsonEDP Board of Directors.

“Our legislators really came through for Anson County in this budget,” Marek said. “The fiscally sound and transparent operations of the AnsonEDP board over the past six years gave our legislators the confidence to entrust this sort of funding to us. Without that trust, none of this happens.”