The Megasite Gamble Reshaping the Triad's Economy
A vast tract of prepared industrial land near Greensboro has landed transformative tenants — and raised hard questions about who benefits from megasite economics.
The economic development playbook of the moment is the megasite — thousands of acres, graded, permitted and ready for a single enormous tenant.
Building the field of dreams
Near Greensboro, one such site has spent years in preparation, its backers wagering that if you build the infrastructure, the transformative employer will come. Recent commitments suggest the bet is paying off.
The Triad, long overshadowed by Charlotte and the Triangle, sees the projects as a chance to reclaim its manufacturing stature.
Who captures the upside
Economists urge caution. Megasite incentives are expensive, and the promised jobs sometimes go to workers imported from elsewhere. The public cost per position can be startling.
The question is not whether the megasite will bring investment — it already has — but whether the surrounding community will share fully in the returns.
Related Stories
Wake Commissioners Back WakeMed's Combination With Atrium Health
After a five-hour hearing, the county board voted 5-2 to let the deal move forward, citing a revised offer with price-increase limits and a higher charity-care floor. State and federal review is not over.
A Navy Aircraft Repair Complex Opens in Kinston
Officials cut the ribbon on a Fleet Readiness Center East hangar at the North Carolina Global TransPark that will overhaul C-130s and HH-60W helicopters and bring more than 400 jobs to eastern North Carolina.
Caterpillar Commits $1 Billion to a New Sanford Plant
The heavy-equipment maker says a new Lee County factory will expand output of compact track loaders and telehandlers. It has not said how many jobs the project will create.