Economic Development
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- Category: Economic Development
In 2017, the City of Greenwood hired Benchmark Planning to provide a market feasibility study for the redevelopment of a City Center area including the site of the former Kitson Mill. The former textile mill closed in 2008 after being in operation for 118 years. In 2011, the City acquired the property and awarded assessment funds in 2012. After observing concentrations of contaminants above the Environmental Protection Agency Standards, the City worked with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to clean up the site. The City then contracted with Benchmark Planning in 2017 to provide a market feasibility study to assist in the redevelopment of the site.
The Kitson Mill site encompasses a total of 24 acres near the heart of Greenwood. The site is located one block from the Uptown Arts and Dining District and the nearby farmers' market. The City-owned portion of the larger acreage is 6.8 acres and is envisioned as industrial flex space available for a wide variety of logistics, creative production, and indoor entertainment venue space. Additionally, the site has access to nearby railroads and all public facilities.
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- Category: Economic Development
The Economic Development Division of the American Planning Association announced the City of Portsmouth as a 2025 Economic Development Award winner. The city was honored for their work on the Innovation District Plan that was adopted by the City Council in September last year. The award category was “Innovation in Economic Development – Planning.”
The Innovation District Plan is intended to transform High Street into a dynamic and sustainable urban neighborhood. The Plan, guide by Benchmark Planning, was developed through an inclusive planning process that spanned from the spring of 2022 through winter 2023/2024. This visionary initiative was built with extensive input from local residents, business owners, and stakeholders, ensuring the plan reflects the community’s aspirations.
The Innovation District’s guiding vision is to create a vibrant, walkable, and mixed-use environment where Portsmouth’s diverse and creative workforce can live, work, and interact. The area will serve as a thriving hub for entrepreneurship, offering opportunities for local job creation, innovation, and sustainable growth. The Plan aims to foster a culture of collaboration and accessibility, where people of all backgrounds can contribute to and benefit from the area’s revitalization.
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- Category: Economic Development
From 1936 until 1974, the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation operated a wood treatment facility on the banks of the Brunswick River in the historic African-American community of Navassa. When the plant ceased operation, the plant was dismantled, but years of operations prior to meaningful environmental regulation left behind a legacy of creosote contamination on the 245 acre site. Following the bankruptcy of a holding company created by Kerr-McGee, the Multistate Environmental Response Trust was appointed to oversee the remediation and redevelopment of the now designated Superfund site in partnership with EPA, the State of North Carolina, the Town of Navassa, and other local, state, and federal stakeholders.
With a mandate from EPA to secure community support for the remediation and redevelopment of the site, the Multistate Trust engaged Benchmark in 2017 as part of a multi-faceted planning process with extensive public input that brought together a wide range of experts to engage the Town and its residents as a plan was developed for the site. With the planning process now successfully completed, the Trust is now moving forward with the remediation process and marketing the site for redevelopment in accordance with the community based vision.
- Details
- Category: Economic Development
The North Carolina Railroad Company, founded in 1849, is a private corporation created to attract development and promote jobs through investments in the State. The NCRR freight rail line directly serves hundreds of employers and three military installations in 16 counties via its long-term agreement with Norfolk Southern. As important, the railroad’s value to economic development continues to help sustain and grow our entire state’s economy through connections with other railroads, intermodal terminals, and freight hubs.
The NCRR commissioned Benchmark and its economic development partner Greenfield Associates to study the area within one mile of the 3,250 miles of freight rail lines across the state to identify potential sites and develop an extensive qualitative and quantitative database of the identified properties for use in industrial site selection and marketing efforts. The study identified both existing and potential rail-served industrial sites in order to provide a broad portfolio of options for various types of rail users and make this information available to the greater economic development community to stimulate investment.
