State grant to enhance utilities at Burke Business Park in Morganton

MORGANTON, N.C. — Burke County has been awarded a $697,019 grant from the state to extend a natural gas pipeline to Burke Business Park in Morganton.

The grant, awarded by the state Rural Infrastructure Authority, will fund the addition of more than 2,500 feet of pipeline to the business park located off Kathy Road.

This infrastructure project aims to support economic growth in the area by enhancing the park’s utilities, according to the Morganton Herald.

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Alan Wood, president and CEO of Burke Development Inc., stated that the construction bid process for a shell building at the park is expected to start soon.

“The shell building will be a basic structure that can be finished to fit a specific company,” Wood explained.

The total cost of the gas line project is estimated at about $900,000, with the difference between the grant and the total expected cost yet to be determined. Piedmont Natural Gas will lay the pipeline, with work expected to start late this year or early next year.

Currently, the business park has one company, UNIX Packaging, on its 83-acre property. The development of a shell building is part of Burke Development’s plan to attract future clients to the park.

The grant comes from the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account program, which provides financial assistance to local governments in economically distressed counties.

According to information from Gov. Josh Stein’s office, these grants are intended for public infrastructure projects that are expected to create new jobs.

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