State and local lawmakers are proposing to build a 2000 acre megasite along the Guilford/Alamance County lines that includes 600 of the 800 acres of the Guilford County Prison Farm promising as many as 5,300 full- and part-time jobs according to the News & Record. The cost for infrastructure $81.1 million. The cost to buy the additional 1400 acres in Gibsonville, Burlington and Elon? Unknown.
That is: unless, of course, developers have already secretly bought the properties before pitching the idea to government.
Never mind that the site is 20 miles away from Greensboro where the jobs are needed the most, where unemployment is the highest of any city in the Piedmont Triad, any city in the state.
Never mind that FedEX promised 1500 new jobs for its $300 million Dollar price tag and delivered zero new jobs.
Never mind that in North Carolina there are already 18 empty megasites, the majority of those owned by governments offering incentives to lure businesses to come.
Never mind that nationwide there are already over 180 empty megasites, the majority of those owned by governments offering incentives to lure businesses to come.
Never mind that Greensboro and Guilford County gave incentives to build the Kmart Distribution Center now owned by Sears who just yesterday posted record losses of $534 million.
Never mind that every single one of these projects has failed for Greensboro, we're going to do it anyway.
And for those of you living in Burlington, Gibsonville, Elon and Alamance County who think this might be a good thing for you: Allow me to remind you that while Greensboro has the highest unemployment in the State and the highest tax rate of any North Carolina city, it's the very people who are pushing the idea to build this 2000 acre megasite who put us in the position we are in today. Give then an inch and they'll take everything you have just like they did to us. Tell the leaders in your communities to just say no before it's too late.
