GREENE COUNTY
What stood as a symbol of continuing education in Greene County will soon have a For Sale sign after 25 years of occupancy by Athens Technical College.
The technical facility in Greene County, one of four ATC campuses, has occupied part of a 25-acre parcel in the county’s Industrial Park at South Main and Highway 44.
With plans to vacate shortly, the discussion centered on the repurposing and sale of the facility at this month’s Department of Development meeting.
Owned by the county, the maintenance and associated costs will transfer to the Development Authority in June at the termination of the contract with Athens Tech, which earlier announced plans to move to offices at the existing College and Career Academy at Greene County High School.
According to Scott Tolleson, Chairman of the Development Foundation, no preliminary discussions have been held as yet with possible occupants, and it is unlikely a transfer of any ownership would occur until midsummer as Athens Tech is under contract until June. He confirmed that Greensboro’s ATLAS Ministry had expressed early interest in the building and acreage, but no offer has been received.
The Greene County Industrial Park is a 200-plus acre parcel of land within the city of Greensboro and conveniently located off I-20 at exit 130.
The park has municipal services, including electricity, water, sewer, natural gas, and internet/communications infrastructure. It currently has seven manufacturing occupants with over 250 employees and includes Sonoco Products, Rabco, a2b Fulfillment, Standridge Color and Boiler and Steam Performance.
David DuBois is the county’s economic development director and is working with the Development Authority to identify the best use and occupant for the facility. He cited the importance of these industrial parks as being instrumental in helping bring jobs and economic growth to the city.
“After significant investments, the county put forward to the Athens Tech facility when purchased, the county has continued to incur costs related to its month-to-month maintenance of the facility,” DuBois said. “It is no longer feasible for the county to retain the property, and it will transfer ownership to the Development Authority in June. We don’t want to be in the business of leasing a facility. It is best served by identifying a purchaser for it who can contribute to our economy with its intended use.”
The Development Authority had expressed concerns that the facility was being underutilized by Athens Tech. Specific programs that were scheduled to take place never materialized for county participation.
Other opportunities were missed, such as specific classes retirees in the area would be interested in for class enrollment. It was seen as a lost opportunity for community involvement in Greene County.
“We didn’t necessarily want Athens Tech to leave,” DuBois said. “We wanted a greater utilization and community outreach efforts on behalf of them to benefit the county and we had hoped they would expand.”
DuBois went on to explain that the Development Authority wants the best use of the property moving forward and would consider ATLAS if interested. He affirmed the importance of the facility contributing more in a commercial tax to help offset the higher residential taxes seen in Greene County.
“We are going to be selective here,” DuBois said. “We don’t want a chemical plant or anything that would pose a pollution risk to the area. We are hoping to find the right mix that will provide both jobs and economic growth benefiting our county.”
The Development Authority voted to proceed with securing commercial firms and appraisals of the property to be reviewed at the next meeting.