
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 6, 1994                   TAG: 9410060025
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FRANKLIN COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK MAY EXPAND

Attempting to make vacant industrial land more marketable, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors is pursuing the purchase of 7.7 acres adjoining the county's industrial park - a joint venture with the town of Rocky Mount that opened off State Street in 1986.

County supervisors and the Rocky Mount Town Council have offered Howard Wray $142,610 for the land, said David Laurrell, Franklin County's assistant administrator. The sale is expected to close later this month with the county paying 75 percent of the cost and Rocky Mount picking up the remainder based on a revenue agreement formed before the park opened.

The new acreage will be split between two existing vacant parcels in the park. With the additional land, the two tracts would be 18 and 25 acres. A third vacant nine-acre parcel will be realigned to make them more suitable to prospects, several of which are active, Laurrell said.

There has been interest in the park over the past several months and the additional land was needed to interest prospective buyers, Rocky Mount Town Manager Mark Henne said.

Businesses already operating in the 85-acre park are Newbold Inc., Weaver Mirror Co. and Virginia Rubber Recycling. Newbold employs more than 200 people. Weaver Mirror and Virginia Rubber Recycling each employ fewer than 100.

The industrial park expansion comes at a time when Franklin County officials are lobbying voters to approve a $3.7 million bond package in November. The package includes money to streamline the county's economic development plan.

If sale of the bonds is approved, a percentage of the money would be used to upgrade and improve five industrial sites in the county: the joint county-town park in Rocky Mount, the Commerce Center Park off U.S. 220 South, the former Thompson Plant site on Virginia 635 near Boones Mill, and potential sites in Ferrum and Burnt Chimney.

Laurrell said the five sites will be marketed for specific businesses - from professional parks to heavy industry - that fit the site and the site's location in the county.

The Franklin County-Rocky Mount Industrial Park is the second area venture to create industrial sites approved this month.

Botetourt and Roanoke counties are considering joint development of a 175-acre industrial park that would offer ready-to-go sites for light manufacturers. The potential site has not been disclosed because the counties do not yet own the property, officials said.

by CNB